At The Konoha Academy
by shinigamigirl93
Summary: Sakura has been accepted at the prestigious Konoha Academy, but what she doesn't know is that this school harbours a secret, one which she must become a part of and where she finds love. LeeXSakura. Please R&R
1. Chapter 1:Arrival

**Hey guys, its me again. So yeah, the novel of the Naruto anime isn't going as well as planned its hard to get time to sit down and just work on one episode/chapter in one go, so my own story is a lot easier to work on during classes. Here is the first chapter of this story, it's basically a SakuraXLee pairing with a few minor pairings as we go along, I know there isn't many people who have the pairing I do, not many people like them and prefer Sakura with Sasuke or Naruto but i like this pairing, so deal with it. Enough rabbiting on from me, please read and review this, i know the summary is really bad but I can't do them well. Hope you enjoy it x**

disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

'God am I bored.' Sakura thought as she and her parents were in the car. She didn't particularly like the car at the best of times but at this present moment in time she hated it, for it was the mode of transport taking her away from the village she was born, to an unknown village with a prestigious Academy to its name. This was the reason she was leaving, because her parent's had decided to make their daughters life the best they could, and by the best in education was how they thought to do it. She didn't hate her parents, far from it, but she just wished that they could have talked to her about it and came to a decision together. She didn't want to give up all that she knew and loved, to go somewhere foreign, especially when her parents weren't even moving there.

She tried to ignore these thoughts as she got depressed every time she thought about it, but it was always in the back of her mind, which was where she tried to push them to. Her parents told her the day before, so she could tell her friends, that the journey would take five hours and they'd only been driving for one and a half, so she stared out the window, listened to the music on her mp3 and tried to get comfy so she could have a nap.

She can't remember if she dreamt or not but when she awoke she found herself under a blanket of light shadow as they were now driving through a forest. It wasn't a thick forest since she could see through the trees to the grasslands outside, but it was enough to take off some of the heat from the sun. She was grateful for that because she didn't deal well with hot weather. As she looked around at the scenery she realised that it was actually quite pretty, at least better than the views of mountains she had before.

'Sakura, sweetheart, we're almost there.' Her mum called from the front passenger seat, since her dad was driving. As she said that, the forest opened up to a small village. A mountain face was on one side of it, while the other sides were surrounded by vast forests. There were a few shops but most of them were just for the huge school, which was looming behind them. She didn't have much time to look at the village since they were pulling into the Academy through the huge gates.

As they parked near the entrance a small dark haired woman came out and asked, 'Are you the Haruno's?'  
>'Yes we are.' Sakura's mum and dad shook hands with the woman.<br>'And you must be Sakura right?' The woman asked.  
>Sakura nodded, even though she wasn't that shy of a person, she couldn't help but feel it.<br>'Nervous? I remember I was when I first came here. It's pretty intimidating isn't it? Oh, I forgot, my name's Shizune.' Shizune spoke animatedly. Sakura thought she was being a bit too excited but she didn't want to appear rude so she didn't say anything.

During these exchange of words Sakura's dad was taking her luggage out of the car.  
>'Do you need some help with those? I've asked one of the stronger students to come down and take them to Sakura's new dorm.' Shizune said politely.<br>'That would be great, thanks.' He replied and put a few bags down and carried the others in his hand inside, then returned do to the same with them.  
>While he done this Shizune showed Sakura and her mother to the reception.<p>

'Lady Tsunade will be with you shortly.' She said and turned around. As she did she spotted a boy walking down one of the hallways leading to the reception.  
>'You called for me Miss Shizune?' The boy asked her politely. He had walked through the door so Sakura could now see him. He had short black hair cut into a bowl shape, and big bushy eyebrows. His eyes were big and round and, despite the blackness of them, they radiated warmth. His long-sleeved dark green t-shirt and khaki combats suited him perfectly as with the voice he had.<br>She managed to take all this in within the second she saw of him, since he looked straight at her so she turned away, embarrassed, with a slight blush on her face due to being spotted staring at him.  
>'How many times do I have to tell you? It's just Shizune.' She sighed<br>'But father always taught me to be polite to everyone, especially females.' Sakura, upon stealing a glance, had noticed he had turned his attention from her to Shizune.  
>'Don't I know it,' she said to herself, quiet enough so the boy couldn't hear, 'Whatever, could you go help Mr Haruno and take the bags to the spare room in your sisters dorm, and send Ino here?'<br>'Of course.' He said to her and bowed. He then turned to Sakura and said, 'I'll see you around sometime then.' and bowed to her too. This caused Sakura to glow bright red but luckily he didn't see since he'd already left to help her dad.

Sakura then realised she had been holding her breath, so she allowed herself to breathe out. She had thought that these kids would be a like a different species to her but that boy seemed normal enough. She wondered what the rest would be like. Maybe it might not even be so bad, well as long as she can get along with the girls here.

Sakura then heard her dad say, 'Are you sure you'll be okay with all those bags? Do you think it would be best if you split it up?'

He came through the door and held it open as wide as he could and through it came a mountain of bags. Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing. The boy who was trying to help was taking all the bags up at once. He had some of them tied to his back and carried the rest in his hands.  
>'Don't worry Sir I carry things twice as heavy for a mile a day this is no trouble.' He said with a strained voice, gave him a thumbs up and flashed a cheeky smile. Sakura's dad was taken aback by this he didn't know what to say, he admired the boy.<p>

Sakura stood up abruptly making a loud noise, so much so that Shizune, her parents and the boy were all staring at her. Any other time she would be embarrassed by this but she wasn't going to let someone struggle over her luggage.  
>'Here let me help you.' She said heading towards him.<br>'There's no need Miss, I'm fine.' He said but she could see the sweat dripping down his face.  
>'It's my things, I shouldn't let someone else struggle with them. It's rude.' She said reaching to grab the ones from this hand. But as she did a tall blonde haired woman walked down the nearby stairs and seen the family there.<p>

'Mr and Mrs Haruno? I'm Lady Tsunade. Would you like to come with me? Sakura you come too please.' She said strictly and turned around. Sakura now had no choice but to let him take them, alone.

She slowly walked after her parents but before she left the room, she turned to see if he was still there and he was.  
>'Let me repay you for this.' She said.<br>'It's no problem. I'm happy to help.' He replied, gave her the same cheeky grin and then started walking off back down the hall he came from, muttering to himself something like, 'If I can't carry these bags down this hall in 2 minutes then I have to run up the stairs with them in under 1'  
>Sakura smiled, he seemed very reliable she thought and hurried to catch up to her parents.<p>

'Please, sit down.' Lady Tsunade said gesturing to the chairs in front of the table as she moved around to the back of it. Sakura tried to sit down at the nearest chair to the door as she can find, but unfortunately all the chairs were in a line and her parents had already chosen the two outer ones, causing Sakura to sit between them both.  
>'Anything to drink?' She asked but all rejected it, 'As I'm sure you're all tired so I'll just get down to business. Welcome to Konoha Private Academy. Hope you enjoy your time here. There's just a few things we need to go over. Just to confirm you've paid for 10 weeks so far in this Academy and when they are almost up we'll contact you for more payment.'<p>

Sakura zoned out for a while since this talk was for her parents and not for her. She wondered what the people were like again, after seeing that boy push himself like that for her, she hoped everybody else would be the same, so she could get along with them and make this an easy time. This made her think about her friends at home. 'Speaking of that, I'll phone him later before I go to bed.' She thought.

'Sakura? Would you like to come with me to reception, you can say your goodbyes there, pick up some school things and then you can meet your room-mates.' Lady Tsunade said standing up. Sakura nodded and stood up and followed her with her parents right behind her.  
>As they walked her mum started rhyming off a list of stuff she was to make sure she had when she unpacked and to ring them if they'd missed anything.<br>Lady Tsunade told them to wait in the reception area while she went and found Sakura's guide around the school and dorms. Sakura's mum started crying while they waited. This was the last time they were going to see each other for a while and she was getting emotional.

'You promise to ring us at least once a week right?' She asked sobbing.  
>'Of course I will.' She said clearly upset about having to leave her family.<br>Her dad ruffled her hair so it stuck up everywhere, 'Be good, kiddo.'  
>'Daaaad,' She complained flattening her hair, 'I'm seventeen, I'm not a kid anymore.'<br>'You'll always be our baby.' Her mum said cutting across her father.

Tsunade chose this moment to walk in with a tall, long blonde haired girl.  
>'Are you ready to come with us?' She asked.<br>'Just a minute.' She said and then turned to her parents and gave them both a huge hug and said, 'I'll miss you.'  
>'We'll miss you too. It's going to be a bit lonely at home without you.' They said and waved at their daughter as she went off to start her new life.<p>

**It's a little slow to start off with but I need to get all the characters in the right places in the story if you know what i mean. Some of the characters may get a little OC-ish but it will be as close as i can get to the character without spoiling my story.**


	2. Chapter 2:Meeting

**Here we are again, since I'm doing so well on this story I've decided to do it as a weekly story, but when i get into the swing of things again with my other story it may change to every other week and i upload the other story's chapter the other weeks, if that makes any sense.**

**A/N - just a quick update, I've checked through this chapter and last and as today, 1st May, is a birthday in the Naruto world i would like to say Happy Birthday to Choji Akimichi, happy birthday choji-kun, *huggles and gives cake*, don't eat it all at once...he never listens, gotta stop him from choking *sigh*, here this is to read while i save him**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto in any way but if I did then I'd love it

Sakura, Lady Tsunade and the new girl walked through the school in silence until they reached a wooden door with a brass number 7 on it.

'This is your dormitory remember it, but since you're living with people in your classes then I'm sure you won't get lost until you get to know your way around. Here's your key to this door. If you have any questions feel free to ask Ino here, I hope she'll be able to answer any immediate questions. Any questions she can't answer just come and see me. For now I must be off, there are some papers the Hokage needs to sign.' Lady Tsunade recited as if she'd done it many times and only had to replace the names and numbers with the correct ones. She stalked off down the hall they had just walked down without a backward glance at the two of them.

'Hi, as Lady Tsunade said I'm Ino. I hope we can be good friends.' Ino said holding her hand out to shake. Sakura took the hand tentatively and said 'Sakura. How many other people is there in there?' Sakura said while gesturing to the door.

'Only two others. If it will make you feel better I can leave introductions until later, but unfortunately it will include the boys from our class too.' She said with a slight eye-roll when mentioning the boys.

'Immature I guess?' She said with a smirk, it felt nice to just have met someone but feel almost completely at ease with them. This was going to be easier than she thought.

'You have no idea. Neji is the only one who's mature enough to not mess around, but Naruto, I could just give a bash on the head,' She said with a chuckle, 'Anyway, which will it be?'

Sakura thought for a moment. 'I think it will be easier if I meet everybody, then it'll be easier in the long run when you have to consider tomorrow too.'

Ino somehow knew she was going to say something like this. It was like they'd already made a connection in the few seconds they had spoken to each other and they both smiled.

'So I'll just take you to your room and then you can unpack.' Ino said.

'Did he get up here okay then?' Sakura asked in a slight tone of surprise as Ino had her hand on the handle of the door.

'Who?' She asked puzzled but then understanding crossed flashed over her face and she understood. 'Oh yeah, he did. He was tired so he's gone back to his dorm to rest before dinner, you'll see him then.'

Sakura made a mental note to thank him when she saw him. However she was distracted from her inner ramblings of her mind since Ino had opened the door with a loud clunk.

As the door opened Sakura seen that the walls were painted white with a wooden flooring as the rest of what she seen on the school was. The front door opened up to a large room with two medium sized blue couches surrounding a large television with a bookcase in one corner and a stereo in the other. She didn't see much but she noticed that there were two girls sitting on the couch staring at the pair walking in, so Ino walked through the room to the mini hallway which had the stairs and a door leading to what Sakura believed to the downstairs bathroom. She followed her up the stairs and to the 3rd room down the hall.

Her room was painted a pink colour similar to the shade her hair was. It was her favourite colour and she was amazed at how they found this out but she had a feeling it had something to do with her parent and she made a note to thank them at a later date. Her bed had a purple quilt on which complemented the walls perfectly. She carefully walked into the room and looked around a bit more, she noticed the room had an en suite bathroom. As other possessions went, there was a beech desk for doing school work on, a set of drawers and a wardrobe for putting clothes in and a waist high plastic set of drawers for paperwork and to hold school work until needed to be handed in.. Beside the door she walked through was her pile of luggage stacked neatly by the wall behind the door.

She was so lost in her mind and this room which was now hers, that she forgot that Ino was still there and until she coughed slightly smiling that she remembered about her.

'Sorry,' Sakura said shaking her head slightly.

'Don't worry, I remember when I came here, I was just the same.' Ino said understandingly, she then noticed the pile of luggage the red-head had. 'It's a lot you had there, huh? It looks like you're moving here.' She said with a giggle.

Sakura hung her head as if to hide tears. Ino quickly realised that she had made a mistake and moved over to her, put a hand on her shoulder and said, 'I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that, it was insensitive. How about I give you a hand in putting your things away then we can go to dinner quicker.'

'Okay then. Thanks.' Sakura said

'I'll be back in a bit, I'll go tell the other girls to just go to dinner and meet us there. Maybe you should start with your clothes so I don't see anything you don't want me to.' She winked at Sakura from the doorway and silently closed it.

Sakura was then left in silence standing in the middle of the room, she looked at the clock on the wall, it read 4.30pm, 'Okay lets do this' She thought, rolled up her sleeves and got to work. First thing she decided was she didn't like the way that the furniture was arranged so she moved the bed so it ran along the wall between the window (which was across from the rooms front door) and the en suite bathroom(which was to the left of the rooms front door), put the desk and plastic drawers on the other side of the window, and (with hard work) moved the wardrobe and drawers across on the right of the rooms front door.

By the time Ino returned Sakura was half-way through putting her clothes away.

'Wow! I'm impressed, you managed to get this far through unpacking and moving things around in the space of 15 minutes.' Ino praised.

Sakura just giggled shyly and said, 'My mum taught me when sorting a room out, start with what you don't like about the room then unpack things.'

'Seems like she was right about that,' Ino said and smiled, 'Right! Where do you want me to start?'

Sakura gestured to the things on the bed and said, 'Those on the bed, I just need you to sort them out and put them in the right place.'

They worked quickly but spent a lot of the time talking about interests and they realised that they liked most of the same stuff. Ino told Sakura a lot about the history of the school and village, and as much as she didn't like history it was quite interesting. She also told her a bit about some of the people from their class. She found out that Naruto was the annoying one, Sasuke was the cute one, Shikamaru was the one who was always bored, Neji was the genius, Hinata was the quiet one and Choji was the fat one. Sakura just let Ino talk as much as she wanted and as soon as conversation turned to being about her she changed the subject so she didn't have to. As much as she liked Ino she wasn't ready to tell her about her past just yet.

'You're so funny Ino' Sakura laughed at a joke she had just said, her belly rumbling at the same time.

'Hungry?' Ino asked, she looked at the time, 'No wonder it's almost 6. We better head down to dinner then.'

'Okay.' Sakura got up off her bed and put her phone on her desk and plugged it in to charge, she'd need it to phone him before she goes to bed.

They walked quickly through the halls and reached the dining hall in no time at all. Ino and Sakura grabbed trays and lined up to get something to eat, tonight it was pasta, and walked over to a large table with a group of 8 people on it.

'Hey guys, this is the new girl Sakura' Ino said.

'Hi.' She said to the group timidly. They all looked up and waved at them and said hi. Sakura looked around the group and noticed that the only other seat open was next to a boy with short dark blue hair and nearly black eyes. He wore a pair of white shorts and had a blue hoodie on. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him and she instantly liked him. Sakura looked at the rest of the group as she went round the table to sit down but her eyes always found this boy.

'Hi, I'm Sakura, and you are?' She asked timidly as she sat down.

He looked sideways at her and said slowly and quietly with no emotion, 'Sasuke.'

Sakura ate in silence and only answered the odd question as she was so nervous to speak. Talk mostly consisted of things what happened during the summer holidays at home. Through talk she managed to put faces to the names. Choji was the one who always ate with the spirals on his cheeks, Shikamaru was the one who always yawned. Naruto, who sat on the other side of Sakura, had short, spiky, bright blonde hair with a pair of goggles over his forehead, and he was as annoying as Ino said but he kept looking at Sakura when he thought she wouldn't notice and she was on the verge of telling him to stop when Tenten piped up.

'Anyway I have to go now and spend time with my dad and brother. Lee loves to train with dad so I have to go get them. See you guys later.' She said, waved and walked off.

Ino noticed that Sakura had a distressed face and suggested that they head off back to the dorm. Hinata decided to leave with them, she said she needed to do a few things before tomorrow.

'There's never anything on is there?' Ino said after about 5 minutes and channel hopping until she decided to leave a music channel on as background noise.

'I wouldn't know. I've never watched Land of Fire telly before.' Sakura said truthfully.

'So you aren't from around here?' Ino said shocked.

'No.'

'Where then?' Ino asked curiously.

Sakura sighed she knew she was going to have to own up eventually, 'I'm from the land of Wind.'

Ino gasped slightly, 'I never knew. You're from the country we were at war with recently.'

They were silent for a minute. Then Ino spoke up and said, 'I'm not gonna hold it against you, I mean it had nothing to do with you.' She was smiling at Sakura

'Thanks. I didn't agree with what happened there either but I'm glad there's a truce and our countries are on good speaking terms.'

'Yeah. So where about in the Land of Wind are you from?' Ino asked

'Well I was from Suna. That reminds me, I need to make a call. I'll head off to bed now. See you tomorrow.' Sakura said.

'Okay. Breakfast is at 8 so set your alarm for about 7. You'll get used to the times soon enough. Night.'

Sakura opened them door to her room so find everything put in its rightful place except for a few personal things, so she closed the door to find huge dust cover over a coat hanger on the hook on the back of her door. There was a note on it which read, 'Here is your school uniform, Lady Tsunade.' She decided to look at it later when she had everything sorted. So she put the radio on and got finished putting her personal belongings away. She had a picture of her and her parents and another of her and a auburn haired boy beside her beside table and a teddy from said boy.

She picked up her phone and sat on her bed and picked up her phone and checked the time. Suna would be 2 hours behind them and it seemed like a reasonable time to call. She clicked through her phone until she reached the number she was looking for and she clicked call. She picked up the toy and cuddled it as it rang. It rang for such a long time that she was about to cancel it and ring at a later date but she heard the familiar raspy voice through the speaker.

'Hello?' He said curious as to who it was.

'So you finally pick up then.' She giggled.

'Sakura?'

'Have you forgotten me already Gaara?'

**Yeah, I changed Sakura's background a little and thought it would be good for Sakura and Gaara to have been best friends before she went to the Academy. Hope it was a good move, because if i was to change it now, it would be way too late wouldn't it. Anyways I hope there are people reading this and if you are I'd love a review to tell me you are, also just to tell me how this is shaping up (if at all),**

**If anyone wants to know Choji is fine xD **


	3. Chapter 3:Lessons

**Hey! It's that time of week again. I've noticed that at the time when I start getting into writing these stories it come to exam time. Unfortunately with my last story it took over a month and a bit to upload the final chapter of it. However this time I came prepared. There are already 2 more chapters done and another on the way. Adding that to the 3 Naruto novelisation chapters I've done already it means that I only have to do 2 and a bit chapters then I'm covered till the end of June by uploading an alternate chapter every saturday. So I better get to work on those then. Also i hope that I get back into the groove of writing to a tight schedule, I hope I do but it may be a bit of a struggle.**

**I'd like to thank everybody who has favourited me as an author and this story and I hope I can live up to your expectations.**

**And also thank you to strawberry030 for reviewing, it made me day when i saw a review so arigatou hope you enjoy this chapter, it's dedicated to you xD**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto (saaaad fase :( )

'Have you forgotten me already Gaara?' Sakura said jokingly.

'Of course not.' He protested, 'I just didn't think you would phone so soon.'

'I missed you, so I wanted to call you and tell you what it's like.' Sakura said sadly

'I miss you too Sakura. Nothing's the same without you here. It's boring. Well more boring without you.' Gaara said

Sakura giggled, 'You sound like Shikamaru.'

'Shikamaru?'

'Yeah, somebody I met down at dinner. He finds everything boring.' Sakura smiled and added to herself, 'you would have been like Sasuke-kun if I hadn't gotten you out of the shell of sand around your heart' but didn't say it out loud because it bothered him he was like that with everyone.

Sakura then proceeded to tell him all about the school and the people who were here. He was glad that Sakura had found a friend and hoped that everyone else would be the same then he wouldn't have to worry about how she is.

Sakura yawned involuntary and looked at the clock, it was close to 11pm. Gaara heard the yawn and said, 'You must be tired, I'll let you get to sleep.'

'Okay' Sakura said mid-yawn, 'Talk to you tomorrow, okay?'

'Okay, but you can just as easily text me.'

'That's not the same though.' Sakura giggled.

'Stay strong for me, okay? Keep a big smile on' Gaara asked

'I'll try just for you.' Sakura said, 'Goodnight Gaara.'

'Goodnight my little flower.' Gaara said sweetly.

Sakura then hung up with a deep sigh. She wished she was back home with Gaara, Kankuro and Temari (Gaara's brother and sister) yet she was stuck here. It made her want to cry but she was made of stronger stuff than that and managed to fight back the stinging tears which she knew would eventually fall.

She went over to her wardrobe to change into a pair of pyjamas and the coat hanger which contained her school uniform caught her eye. She finished changing and unzipped it to look at it. On the hanger was a long-sleeved white shirt, a light-grey skirt and a light-grey v-neck sweater which was cut off at the shoulders with the green Konoha academy leaf emblem above where the heart would be. In a sealed plastic bag was a black tie with the green leaf symbol, lots of pairs of knee-length black socks and a pair of black shoes the right size for her.

Surprisingly for a school uniform Sakura thought it wasn't too bad. She zipped it back up, turned off the lights and crawled into bed, she left the radio on to distract her from the thoughts running through her head however it didn't work.

It felt strange for Sakura to be in a bed other than her own, it smelled weird like it shouldn't belong here surrounded by things from home. She figured she would start getting used to it soon enough after a few weeks, but she didn't want to wait.

After a while her worried thoughts and fretting became hazy as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

As if it was a second later, Sakura woke up, and seen light flooding in through the pale-pink curtains. She could hear loud noise, like a bell, and wondered whether that was the fire alarm but once her head had cleared she realised it was her alarm ringing. She got up and wandered over to it and turned it off. She had a shower and got herself changed into her new uniform. Just as she was straightening her tie, she heard a knock on the door and Ino's voice.

'You ready Sakura?'

Sakura brushed a stray hair from her face and opened the door and closed it behind her, 'All done. Let's go.' She smiled widely at her

'Aren't we perky today?' Ino asked a little shocked.

'Yeah, I got a little pep talk from Gaara last night.' Sakura replied

'Gaara? Is that a friend of yours.' Ino asked

'Yeah.'

'Just a friend?' Ino prompted

Sakura blushed brightly, 'Yeah of course.'

'Yet your face says differently.' Ino joked as they headed downstairs and to the dining hall for breakfast.

'Gaara is just a friend. A really close one. Yet when I was younger I did have a huge crush on him. He was cold and didn't get along with people, he never spoke to anyone other than his brother and sister, but I guess that's what interested me in the first place, I was curious about him. I used to try and talk to him all the time or I'd try to pair up with him in group work but he just ignored me if we ever did. When I had finally plucked up the courage to tell him how I felt he rejected me, it hurt a lot at the time but I managed to convince him to let me in as just a friend.' Sakura said with sadness in her voice at the fact that he wouldn't be here for her when she needed him.

Ino thought about this until the got to the dining hall and finally, as they helped themselves to toast and cereal, she said, 'He must mean a lot to you then, for you to get worked up over him. I'm sorry.'

'What are you sorry for?' Sakura asked confused

'For bringing it up'

'It just caught me off guard, nothing to be sorry for Ino. Okay, time to go meet everyone again and be more open like he told me to.' and she smiled

Everybody noticed the change in Sakura compared to the day before, she was more talkative and not just one word answers. When they found out where she was from nobody held it against her which surprised Sakura. She found she got along well with Tenten and Hinata who she shared a dorm with.

The bell rang for lesson as Sakura finished her breakfast. They all made their way to room 4 for registration and to get a few notices which were to be given out to them. For Sakura this would be when she first started at this school. She would have to introduce herself to the teachers of each class and then to the rest of the class who she hadn't met, if there was anybody she hadn't met already.

They soon arrived at the room to find a teacher sitting behind a desk at the front of the room, with his head stuck in some paperwork, and a black-haired student sitting at the back of the room with his head on the desk waiting for everyone to arrive. Everybody went and sat down in what seemed like their old seating plan from the year before. Sakura noticed there was only two seats left.

She sighed put on a big smile and went up to the teacher.

'Errr sensei? I'm Sakura. I'm new here.' Sakura said hesitantly,

The teacher looked up, saw her standing in front of him, thought for a second and replied, 'Ah yes, Lady Tsunade said you would be joining my class. I'm Iruka-sensei.'

'What is it you teach?' She asked curiously.

'Me? I don't teach, I'm just your form tutor.' He said with a hint of a joke in his voice, 'Okay, would you prefer to sit at the back or the front?'

'Back' Sakura said almost instantly, there was nothing worse than having to sit in front of the teacher in a lesson.

'Then go take a seat so I can get on with registration.' He smiled

Sakura blushed realising she was holding him up, nodded and rushed to the back and to her seat.

When she sat down she smiled, she realised she was sitting behind Ino, so at least is she was lost she could ask her, but upon looking to the side she frowned spotting she was sharing the table with the boy who had his head on the desk. She looked at him noticing the perfectly shaped bowl-cut hair. She had no idea who he was but something about him seemed familiar and so she raked her mind for anything which could identify him.

She couldn't remember if she had seen him the halls or in the dining hall, but in her mind yesterday never happened and so she wouldn't have remembered if she wanted to.

Iruka-sensei started calling the register

'Choji Akimichi

Sakura Haruno

Hinata Hyuuga

Neji Hyuuga

Kiba Inuzuka

Lee

Shikamaru Nara

Tenten

Sasuke Uchiha

Naruto Uzumaki

Ino Yamanaka'

Everyone answered when their name was called out, even the person next to her, which was called Lee she had heard him answer to. Wait...Lee...She remembered that Tenten had said her brother was called Lee. Also something clicked into place, she remembered that Shizune from the reception said something about brother/sister and dorm.

She looked at him again and as if hit by a force greater than she'd known, the face of the boy who carried her bags hit her with the smile and the cheeky grin on his face. He looked so different in a school uniform, she didn't recognise him without the green t-shirt and baggy pants.

Sakura blushed slightly at the fact that she had forgotten that. While Sakura had been worrying over things going through through her mind of how to thank him for yesterday, Ino had turned round in her seat to talk to Sakura. The way she looked at Sakura she had been trying to talk to her and get her attention for a while now, so she waved her hand in front of Sakura's eyes which made her blink and snap back to reality

Sakura let out a confused 'huh?' as she looked at Ino

'I've been trying to talk to you for a while, haven't you been paying attention?' Ino asked

Sakura's face was now red as a chilli. She felt foolish for it.

'I'm sorry, I was miles away.' She said simply without giving too much away.

Ino laughed and said 'It's okay. I was just asking if you wanted to go to the village after school today?'

Sakura looked surprised and asked 'Can you do that?'

'Of course you can. You didn't even know that?'

Sakura gave her chair a playful shove, pushing it back down on fours legs as she was tipping the chair back to talk to Sakura, 'Leave me alone, I've only been here a day. How do you expect me to know that?'

Sakura noticed out the corner of her eye that the laughter and carry on had made Lee look up at them. So she quickly shut up embarrassed again and said quietly, 'Yeah I'll come.' She was puzzled as to why she didn't want to talk in front of him, she didn't know why she was embarrassed, maybe it was because he had done so much for her but she hasn't even thanked him. She thought it through thinking that it must be the reason, as she was never really shy at all and she was okay around cute boys.

'Great, we'll sort it out later then.' Ino said loudly not noticing the sudden quietness that overcame Sakura. Ino then noticed Lee stretching, 'Oh hey Lee. I hardly seen you yesterday, have a good holiday?'

'It was great, thank you.' He said politely, and if there was any doubt left in her mind about him being the boy from yesterday it was gone because their was no doubt that the voice was his.

'Do anything special?' Ino asked

'Nothing exciting. How about you?

Ino then couldn't keep her mouth shut, she talked and talked and talked about her holidays even when there wasn't anything exciting that had happened but to Ino it was the most important thing. This made her giggle slightly. Lee obviously knew what Ino was like and he seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with being talked to by her, he didn't seem to like people nosing in his business, so by asking her about her holiday it meant she left him alone. She hoped that Lee would know her as well as that but she also wanted to know more about him too.

As Sakura was looking at him he noticed and turned towards her and smiled. Sakura decided that she was going to talk to him, she couldn't sit here all day and not say anything with the tenseness she had within her.

'Hi.' She said surprised at the slight bluntness in her voice, she hoped he didn't notice it. Luckily he didn't and seemed as pleasant as ever.

'Hello. How are you today?' He said smiling

'I'm much better today, thank you. Hope you didn't hurt yourself carrying my bags. I'm grateful for that.' Sakura said and bowed slightly in appreciation, as she did she noticed that his hands were bandaged up.

'I didn't even pull a muscle.' He said reassuringly

Sakura gave him a look, 'So why are your hands bandaged then? You didn't have them yesterday and they look new.' She said looking down at the almost sparkling white hands as if to enhance her point.

He then looked down and noticed his hands, and said very childishly and comically, 'Oh no, I must have forgot.' and he started unravelling them at and impossibly high speed. Once he had finished he put them in his bag and showed his hands to her to reveal that his hands were, if a little scarred and scabbed from the past, fine. Sakura let out a breath from relief.

'See... all is well.' Lee said apologetically.

'I'm glad. If there's anything I can do to repay you, let me know. Id like to help in anyway possible.' Sakura said.

'There's no need for you to,' he was going to finish off saying that he was fine as he was but he saw the look she gave him and decided against it, she looked guilty, 'but if anything comes up and you can help, I'll let you know.'

'Okay'

It was almost time for Sakura's first lesson and as Iruka-sensei had just passed out the timetables it turned out it was English Language with a person called Kakashi-sensei. Iruka-sensei then left the room and as pupils were like chatter soon flooded the classroom but as soon as Kakashi-sensei walked through the door they had shut-up again.

Kakashi-sensei was a tall young man who had surprisingly spiky silver hair and had a mask which covered his nose, mouth and one eye. On first glance Sakura wouldn't have expected him to be a teacher but as the lesson wore on he realised that he was perfect as a teacher. He taught quite well she thought but let his pupils get on with their work.

On the board was some different types of descriptions and they had to take notes on it and then start personifying objects around the room.

'Nobodies ever saw what is under the mask, it's his most kept secret, not like he gives much information either way.' Ino said as she had turned around pretending to personify the clock on the back wall so she could talk to Sakura. She only managed to politely say 'Really?' and get on with her work.

She wasn't a nerd, nor was she a class idiot but she knew that these students were more advanced than she was and she knew she would have to work hard to manage to catch up. She noticed that as she had replied to Ino that Naruto, who was on the same row as Ino but on the opposite table, was staring at her again, she just looked away feeling slightly uncomfortable with the fact he was always looking at her.

'Class is almost finished but as your homework for today I would like you to write a description about the person who is sitting next to you and I want you to bring it in for tomorrows lesson. No exceptions.' He said in his calm slow voice and went back to reading his book.

Sakura's face dropped, Lee was the person she knew least of and she had to write a description of him.

Before the next lesson they had a 20 minute break so before history Ino took Sakura on a tour of the school. They went around the courtyard and the large expanse of the forest which belonged to the school. Sakura noticed a large building within the grounds which Ino didn't mention about, her eyes skimming over it when showing her around as if she was trying to avoid it and pretended not to notice it. Sakura decided to ask someone else about it if she was this way with other people, she only hoped they were less secretive.

History passed in a blur, as much as she wanted to do well at this school, she couldn't understand a word Asuma-sensei was saying. She noticed that a lot of the other students were like her and wither not paying much attention are furiously talking notes on wars and plagues from hundreds of years ago. Sakura was one of the people who wasn't paying much of attention, she drifted in and out of the lesson and her imagination, and one minute she was listening to them talk about the sort of medicines they had in one period of time to some person who invented the microscope. She was so confused.

Lunch was next and as what appeared to be usual Lee was absent from the meal. Except for five minutes before lesson where he came in grabbed a sandwich, wolfed it down and ran off. Sakura thought it very bizarre as she saw that he had the bandages on once again.

After lunch Ino led Sakura to a different part of the school, a part she said that she would show her later as they had a lesson there. It was time for P.E. Sakura was looking forward to this as she was very athletic and loved sports. They went into the changing rooms and to their lockers, which had their names on them, and pulled out a gym kit. It was a white t-shirt with either green shorts or green tracksuit bottoms and a green hoodie for the colder months. It was a fairly warm day but they changed into the pants and hoodie and went out to the field. The teacher was in the middle of the group of children taking the register and then announced that the boys would be playing football and the girls playing tennis.

'Dad I'm going to make the boys team even and do laps around the field.' Somebody shouted and headed off to the start line of the running track around them. Sakura saw the familiar haircut bobbing away as he started running. 'Lee's dad is a teacher?' Sakura thought and when she looked at the teacher she noticed a lot of similarities between the two of them, including the haircut and cheeky smile.

'Okay son, try and beat your best amount of laps.'

'Right.' He shouted

'Sakura is it?'

'Yeah, I was just wondering what I'm to call you because it doesn't say your name on the timetables.' She asked.

'I'm Gai-sensei.' He said cheerfully, 'Now, go on off to get a racket and start playing.'

When she got to the portable tennis courts set up she found that Tenten and Hinata were already playing and Ino was waiting for her.

The game with Ino was the most competition she'd had in years as Ino was also fairly good at sports. Finally, after a gruelling match, Sakura had won overall but only by a small margin and was quite breathless as she quickly got a shower to wash away the sweat during the last twenty minute break and headed to geography which was also taught by Asuma-sensei.

As Sakura sat through his lesson, it turned out it can't have been history what was boring, although that counted towards it, but as Sakura had been fairly good at geography in her last school and she couldn't understand what Asuma-sensei was saying, it must have been the teacher and not the lesson.

As her first school day had finished and had been wrapped up nicely. She found that she had stopped being so embarrassed around Lee and they had talked quite a bit, turned out he had managed to run about 90 laps around the school grounds(3 more than his highest amount) and could have went for longer if the bell hadn't gone, and she found him to be very funny at times. That would help for their homework she thought.

**Things should start picking up in the next chapter as Sakura finds out something unexpected :O**

**Please read and review like strawberry030 just to let me know how things are going**


	4. Chapter 4:Village

**Hey there, It's Saturday again and time for a new chapter of ATKA. With me getting a new phone it means I can now write while on the move so hopefully I'll meet my target of 2 and a bit chapters by my exams. Fingers crossed. Although my new drawing tablet may inhibit processes(see i'm revising), I promise that writing will my first priority after i finish my piece of work to put of dA. Anyways on with the story**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto (unfortunatly, otherwise Sakura would be with Lee and Naruto would be with Hinata, and so on... :3 )

Sakura and Ino headed back to their dorm to get changed from their uniform before heading into the village. Not only did she want to look around the village, she had to get some supplies for lessons, since she had to borrow a pen off Ino for school.

So she went to her room and checked her phone, she had no new texts but stared at the photo of her and Gaara which was her background. She smiled and got changed into a long pinky-red top and a pair of warm grey shorts and she was almost ready. She brushed her hair and put a blue ribbon around it to keep some of her hair out of her face as it had gotten quite windy after their P.E lesson.

Sakura went down into the kitchen and, as she waited for Ino to get ready, got herself a glass of juice. Tenten was in the living room on the phone to her parents. Once she finished the conversation with them she went and talked to Sakura for a bit but left saying something about having to go meet Neji for some training. She didn't know what Tenten meant about training but her inner feelings told her that there may be something going on between the two but she didn't have any evidence to back it up since she didn't know her all that well, so she disregarded it.

Finally Ino came down the stairs wearing a short purple vest and a short purple skirt cut off down the sides, she wore bandages around her stomach and her legs, and wore a blue ribbon with the school's leaf symbol in the middle around her waist. Sakura wondered what was with this school and bandages

'What's with the leaf and bandages?' Sakura asked.

Ino's eyes shifted slightly and said 'Should we get going then?'

Sakura nodded, both to the question and to her lack of an answer, she understood that she didn't want to answer but she would get an answer eventually off somebody else.

They slowly walked into the village, light-heartedly chatting and laughing. As Sakura looked around, the village wasn't all that big, the building were traditional and were mostly drab colours. However the things what were sold in them weren't. Ino seemed to ignore the shop which contained all the cool things, like a shop for weapons(which confused her to why there was a shop dedicated to things like this, in a village like this). However, Ino did ask Sakura if she could stay where she was for 5 minutes as she rushed back and got something. When she had returned she had a big bag which had the same symbol as the weapon shop on it. Something was definitely up and she didn't like being left out of the loop.

Then a miracle happened.

Ino and Sakura had finished their shopping and was wandering around when they decided to go for a drink in a coffee shop in the middle of the village. As they ordered their drinks, sat down and waited for them to arrive, Lee walked in. Sakura noticed her was wearing the clothes he had when she first saw him yesterday and he looked normal again. Ino also noticed him and her face fell almost like a thousand meters. He spotted them already sitting down and walked over to them and took a seat.

'Please tell me it's just a joke.' Ino said worriedly

'What do you mean?' He said curiously, he had no idea what she was talking about

'You... your clothes...' She managed to stutter going red in the face, obviously embarrassed

'What about them?' He asked

Ino took a deep breath and said, 'It is starting this week right?'

Lee laughed and Sakura liked the way it sounded, 'Not this week no, is that what you were worrying about?'

The coffee's then arrived and Ino grabbed hers and gulped it down in one go and then her eyes watered as it burned her throat.

'You'll be okay if I leave you with this guy right?' She said gesturing to Lee.

'Yeah I'll be fine, see you later.' Sakura said smiling at the fact that Lee had rather comically hung his head and mumbled to himself 'I'm now called this guy and not my name.'

'Make sure she's back safe, got it?' She threatened.

Lee blinked in surprise, 'Of course I'm not going to let anything happen to her. Nothing happens in the village anyway.'

'Whatever.' she said and she stormed out, supposedly going to the school to change.

As she did Lee went and ordered a drink and Sakura sat and sipped her coffee, she had no idea how Ino gulped it down because the tiny sip burned her lips at the first touch.

Once Lee sat down, Sakura couldn't help herself and just blurted out, 'What the hell was all that about?'

'Oh, you mean Ino? She gets angry easily.' Lee said.

'No I don't mean Ino, well that's partly it, but anyway' She said rambling on as she sometimes did, 'What was the deal with the conversation? What's not starting this week?' Inspiration suddenly struck her, 'and Why does the village have so many strange shops selling weapons and scrolls of sorts?'

Lee sat there looking a little shocked he didn't know what to say but he decided that the truth may be a better option.

'Well, okay. But try and keep it a secret, I never told you anything and neither did Ino.' Lee said. Sakura nodded and he continued, 'Well you see, the school isn't just for teaching us, it's a way of separating us out from the normal people and us.'

Sakura asked 'What do you mean "normal people and us"?'

'Well, we aren't normal. Well, how can I put this, have you noticed that you may be different to other people? Have you done strange things without realising it and people shunned you for it?'

Sakura thought back through her past and remembered something what happened after her and Gaara became friends. She was playing tag in the school courtyard and Sakura was running away from her friends, however she ended up being cornered and she thought to try something stupid and she ran up the wall and ended up on the room. Everyone was creeped out but Gaara was the only person who kept talking to her, it was why she became so attached to him as a friend, because he was treat the same way.

'Yeah, I did something and people just didn't want anything to do with me anymore except one person.' She said without giving details, she felt like she could trust him but she didn't want to scare him by telling him, but he was persistent.

'Will you tell me?' He asked, 'I mean you don't have to if it's too personal but I'm just curious.'

He wasn't giving Sakura a choice so she decided to tell him the truth.

'Well, I walked up a tall wall and ended up on the roof.' Sakura said quietly.

'Really? That's quite tame when you hear some other people's stories.' Lee said

Sakura looked at him quite shocked, it didn't bother him. 'What's your supposed story and what does that have anything to do with it?'

'Me? I punched through a solid brick wall.' Sakura's eyes widened and he continued, 'I rarely get angry but this time I did because my friends were being insulted and a punched the wall to vent out my anger rather than hurt the guy but it wasn't what I wanted. The school rang my dad and he was so proud of me and he told me everything, as I'm going to tell you now.'

'Well?... Go on then.' Sakura said impatiently.

'Okay well. You see how we are special doing strange things like that, it's because we have the ability to become exceptional people. We're ninjas.'

Sakura stifled a laugh and repeated, 'We're ninjas?'

'Yes. We are ninjas or at least we can be. A lot of this school is just to fool parents but what goes on behind the scenes is a different story. We train as much as we can and we prove ourselves weekly.'

'And that's what Ino meant about is it on this week?' Sakura said a bit sceptically, she didn't believe him, but she also didn't believe he would lie to her like that and make something this far fetched up, she was so confused.

'Yes. My dad runs a tournament held every week to win money to go towards school fees and other things but it's mainly to test ourselves.'

'And you...what? Fight each other there?' Sakura asked. 'Is the big building in the school grounds the arena?'

'To both them questions, yes?' Lee said

Sakura sat thinking for a minute. So if Lee is telling the truth then that means that I'm a ninja, but why didn't my parents say anything, do they even know I am or are they just playing dumb.

Suddenly she said to Lee, 'I don't believe you. I don't believe my parents would send me here without knowing what goes on "behind the scenes" as you put it.' She stood up and grabbed her bags and started to walk off from him without saying goodbye, she just wanted to get out of there away from him, how could he do this to her when she was starting to consider him a friend.

'Hey wait up.' He said quickly catching up to her.

'Leave me alone, I don't want you here.'

'Look, I made a promise, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. So that means I have to follow you back to school. I won't talk if you don't want me to. I hope you can forgive me.' Lee said finally and true to his promise, he never said a word.

Sakura had time to calm down and realise if he's telling the truth then he must know why I was chosen to come here.

'Do you know if my parents were the one's to contact the school?' She asked.

'I do not. But the school always goes to the parent's first if the child is ninja worthy otherwise the parents send their children here and the children are none the wiser.' Lee said

Sakura resolved to phone her parents when she got to her room, she needed to know the truth, once and for all but first she still wanted some answers and she hoped to god that this was all true and not some way to have a laugh at her.

'So everyone in our class has ninja qualities? Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata and Tenten? Are they all ninja?'

Lee nodded, 'Yes, they all have their special abilities.'

'And they are?' Sakura prompted as they got to the school gates.

'Well lets see, Shikamaru has powerful manipulation skills, he can control people's shadows and stop them in their tracks. Kiba has great animal qualities like enhanced hearing and smell and with his dog Akamaru they are a powerful force. Hinata and her cousin Neji control the byakugan, which an ability to see more than they can with the naked eye. Tenten is very adept with weapons.' Lee recited.

'And what about you?' She asked curiously.

'I don't have any special abilities, I'm just unusually strong but I try to push myself to the limits as much as possible to further enhance my strength.' Lee said quite sadly.

Sakura noticed this and said, 'I would say that's a special ability in my opinion, just don't push yourself too hard, don't want you getting hurt'

Lee's eyes lit up as if Christmas had come early, he was obviously not used to compliments like that, 'Th-thank you, I'll try and be careful.' He managed to stutter.

Sakura noticed they had reached her dorm and went inside after saying goodbye to Lee. She didn't find anyone in the dorm which Sakura thought was good, so nobody could eavesdrop on her conversation, which she didn't think would happen but she couldn't be sure.

Sakura went to her room and grabbed her phone and rang the home phone number. After about an age, her mum answered.

'Hello?' She had the radio playing in the background, so Sakura knew she must have called while she was doing the housework.

'Hi mum.' Sakura said

'How are you doing? How was your first day? You eating well?' She said rapidly through worry.

'Mum I'm fine. School was good, I had my first P.E lesson and for the first time actually had some competition in tennis. Actually I was going to head down to dinner but I wanted to ring you first.'

'Aww that's sweet of you. Hope your having a good time.'

'Mum? I have to ask you something.' Sakura said.

'What is it sweetie?' Her mum said embarrassingly, but since nobody was around to hear her she dismissed it and carried on.

'When you decided to send me to this school, did the school contact you first?' Sakura asked.

'Why do you want to know that?'

'Just curious. Did they though?'

'Yes. Lady Tsunade just rang out of the blue saying that you had been given a place at the school, we did a bit of research and found it to be the perfect place for you. Do you not like it there? Is that what it is?' She asked Sakura worriedly.

'No mum, I said I'm fine, I just wanted to know. Anyway I have to go now my friends are calling me. Talk to you later, Tell dad hi.' Sakura said quickly knowing that in her heart Lee was right after all.

'Okay Sakura, honey. Goodbye.'

'Bye.' and Sakura hung up.

So she was a ninja after all. That was a bit of a shock for her, she didn't know what to think. She still had more questions and unfortunately Lee couldn't help. She knew that only one person who could. Lady Tsunade.

**I know it's a bit sudden but I have the characters basically where I want them and I was planning on Sakura waiting before she found out but I want her to be stronger so hence I have her find out some things now.**

**So please Read+Review of you have time(which I'm sure you do xD) , arigatou gozaimasu xx**


	5. Chapter 5:Ninja

**Hey, its time for another chapter. But first, thank you to kyoshira7 for the review, i use single quote marks for speaking because it seems easier for me, i dont fully know why but ive always done it since i was young...er.**

Disclaimer - I dont own Naruto (at all, not even a little bit)

Sakura sped off down the long hallways of Konoha Private Academy as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself and headed towards reception. She knew that if she didn't find Lady Tsunade along the way or in reception she knew Shizune would be able help her find the woman.

At first, when she'd reached the reception, she didn't think anybody was there but as she got closer, Shizune popped up from below the desk, move something and pop back down again. Sakura saw as she got closer that Shizune was sorting out the filing cabinet and she didn't have enough surfaces to places files on so she used the floor.

'Erm... excuse me?' Sakura said politely, as much as a shock as she had, it still gave her no rights to be rude to an adult.

Shizune flinched as Sakura had approached quietly and she banged her head on the desk.

'Are you okay?' Sakura asked her.

'Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Oh, Sakura isn't it?' Sakura nodded, 'What's wrong?'

'I was wondering where Lady Tsunade is, do you know where I can find her?'

Shizune thought for a moment then said, 'She never normally leaves her office but if she isn't there then I don't know, sorry.'

'Is that the room Lady Tsunade took me to yesterday?' Sakura said calmly.

'Yes.' She simply said and went back to work.

Sakura had reached the door and knocked loudly and rapidly on it. Lady Tsunade's voice came from within.

'Come on in, Sakura.'

Sakura opened the door and asked, 'How did you know it was me?' as she went and sat down in front of her.

'I have my ways. I also know that something is troubling you, what is it?' She said in a comforting manner.

Sakura took a deep breath. 'I found something out today and I wanted to know if it's true. The only person who could be able to tell me the whole truth would be you.'

Lady Tsunade looked at her and nodded as if in understanding but she prompted Sakura to hopefully prove her wrong, 'and what is it?'

'A-am I a-a...ninja?' Sakura asked staring into the other woman's eyes.

'That is the truth.' She said finally after a long silence.

Sakura gasped slightly, 'H-how?'

'There are certain people who pop up all over the world with special abilities which without being trained they cannot be deemed safe to the general population. We take them in and we try to teach them to control their power.' Lady Tsunade said as she paced around her office.

'I meant how did you find me? How did you know I was a ninja?'

Lady Tsunade smiled and said, 'Ah, now there's a trade secret right there, but since you're part of the trade I can tell you. There is an energy which flows through all things. Plants, water, the sky, the earth, the sun and even humans all have this energy which we call chakra. Ninjas have a high concentration of chakra in their bodies which can allow them to do special things, things normal people would find scary even dangerous. You can usually tell who's a ninja or not because you can feel their chakra within them, this sort of attracts us to other of our kind, so to say.'

'So I have a high chakra level? What does that let me do?' Sakura asked pleased she was finally getting to the truth.

'Well, it can let you do many things. You could become a strong taijutsu user, hand-to-hand combat, or you could become adept at casting illusions. However through sensing your chakra, I can tell you that your taijutsu is not at its best. No, you have excellent chakra control, that's how you could walk up the wall and onto the roof, because you concentrated your chakra to the soles of your feet. Because you can control chakra so quickly and expertly you are more suited to genjutsu and ninjutsu, also you could become an exceptional healer.'

'But I don't even know first aid.' Sakura whined.

Lady Tsunade laughed. 'You can be taught. At least now you know we can start your training early rather than waiting months to begin.'

'Why would we have to wait to begin with?' Sakura asked curiously.

'If you know of ninjas then you must know about the tournament set up to help train you. Well every week...' She started.

'I already know about the tournament being a way to test the students.' Sakura said

'Oh really? How?'

'I heard it somewhere.' Sakura said shiftily and went red, Lee did ask her to stay quiet and she wasn't going to betray his trust now she knew what he said was true after all. He was the only one who told her what was going on.

Lady Tsunade knew that she was lying but she didn't push it any further.

'Well, we have the school fees so high so normal people are put off from coming here. Ninjas are given special circumstances where we pay so parents can just afford it but normal children have to pay full price. Usually after 10 weeks, giving you time to settle into the school life and hopefully getting to terms with you being a ninja, the parents can't afford the payments anymore and this is when we start the training. You are entered into the tournament and the 'money' you earn goes into your student account and you stay here.'

'So to stay here I have to enter the tournaments and learn to be a ninja?'

'In a nutshell, yes.' Lady Tsunade said. 'As I said we can start your training early now you know. I will be your mentor. I'm the one who will teach you ninjutsu and genjutsu, and your medical studies if you excel at those.'

'What about taijutsu? Who will teach me that?' Sakura asked.

'If you really want to learn it then I would suggest going to Gai-sensei or his son Lee, who I'm sure you know. However, this is not the time for any training. It is heading on to dinnertime and you have went through a lot today. First school day and finding out your a ninja all in one day, it can't be easy for you. Rest up and we can arrange a training session for the weekend. Off you go now.'

Sakura got up and brushed herself down and headed to the door, but before she opened it she had one last thing to say.

'My parents don't know do they?'

'No they don't and I advise you not to tell them either.'

'Okay, what about everyone in my class?'

'They are all like us, so that is fine.'

'Okay, thank you for telling me the truth.' Sakura said with a deep bow and left the room.

She felt a lot better knowing the truth, yes she was still slightly confused but she guessed that in time she would come to accept it. As she headed to the dining hall she realised how this could be a big opportunity for her and she started becoming really excited. Sure she felt slightly betrayed by Ino that she wasn't told anything about this and despite the questions she asked today she never got a straight answer but she felt more elated that she now knew and that she knew Ino did it for Sakura's own good.

Once Sakura reached the dining hall, she went and got a bowl of soup and sat down with her group of friends. Either she was really early or really late since she found that there were only a few people there. Ino was obviously one of them, worrying, and she looked like she was about to go on a rampage looking for Lee because she hadn't seen Sakura since she left earlier, but she had calmed down as she saw Sakura enter the room. Also there was Choji, Naruto and Hinata with Ino.

'Hey guys, what's up?' Sakura asked

'Nothing much, we're just bored, we're usually doing something else this time of day but we can't this week.' Naruto said earning himself a glare and kick under the table from Ino, obviously telling him to shut up.

Sakura felt guilty that Ino had done this to Naruto, as annoying as he was, he didn't deserve that, so she decided to say something.

'Ino, you don't have to do that for me. Lady Tsunade told me everything so he doesn't have to stay quiet anymore. None of you do.' Sakura

'What do you mean?' Ino said faking the confusion

'She's told me about how...we're different... and the truth behind everything.'

Ino looked shocked at first then angry, 'Lee opened his big mouth didn't he? Cant keep his mouth shut that boy.'

Sakura shook her head, 'It's not like that. I basically forced him to. I gave him no choice and anyway, I didn't believe a word he said until I asked Lady Tsunade for the truth.'

Ino looked away, grumbled a little then turned back with a smile on her face, 'At least now I don't have to worry about accidentally letting things slip. We aren't meant to mention anything until they've trained. When will you be starting your training?' Ino asked.

'Lady Tsunade said that because a lot has happened to me within a day that I'm to rest up and we'll start at the weekend. She said she'll be my mentor.'

'Wow! Lady Tsunade never normally takes on students, you must be really special,' Ino said and looked around, 'Looks like this place is filling up quick, we'll talk later about it then.'

'Okay.' Sakura said and she ate while the topic changed to one about school.

'So how do you think your first day went?' Ino asked with a wide grin, glad that she didn't have to lie anymore.

'It went great, P.E was fun with you, now that was the closest match I've ever had, and I guess Kakashi-sensei was cool, but I never understood a word of what Asuma-sensei said. Is it like that with you?' Sakura asked Ino.

'Not many people understand what he's trying to say. I do so if you need any help with his lessons just ask. You only really have Kurenai-sensei to meet now. She teaches maths to us so we'll have her tomorrow.

'Don't we have to have that homework done by tomorrow for Kakashi-sensei?' Sakura asked

'Oh. Great. Just as if I didn't have enough to do.' Ino moaned.

'It's the first day, what more do you have to do?' Sakura sweat-dropped.

'Lots of things.' and Ino went off on a long spiel about what she had to do before she went to bed.

The rest of the night passed in a similar fashion. Everybody had a good laugh, except Sasuke. After dinner Sakura decided to go and do her homework before bed. She put her music on and started working. She was done quite quickly but as Lady Tsunade predicted, she needed rest. So she did a quick tidy up of her room, in which she was starting to feel at home now, and went to set her alarm for the next day and saw that she had gotten a text from Gaara:

**Hey. Thought I'd check up on you because you hadn't texted me today and I was a little worried.**

Sakura smiled at the text and typed a quick reply:

**Sorry, got caught up in things and homework :C, today had its ups and downs but I'll tell you all about it when I ring you next, which I think will be the weekend. *yawn* its late and I'm tired. Goodnight Gaara x x x**

She sent the text and then got ready for bed as she waited for a reply. She felt guilty about having to hide the truth but what else can she do. It's not like she can just come out and say, 'Oh yeah Gaara, just so you know I'm a ninja so this might change things between us because I'm a dangerous person now.' Yeah, right, whatever. She only wished there was some way that he could know without being freaked out. It didn't happen during that incident but who says that this won't tip him over the edge.

She decided to stop worrying and deal with it another time, if she carried on worrying she'd be getting wrinkles early. She reached for her phone to read the text she had just received:

**Hope things are okay. Okay Goodnight Sakura, talk to you soon.**

He liked to keep this simple and Sakura liked that. Some guys would be writing a novel out to you as you say goodnight but not Gaara, simple and to the point. She smiled turned off the light and rolled over and almost instantly fell into a deep sleep.

When she awoke she saw that it was a dark day and saw that the clouds were almost black, so it was going to rain if it already hasn't, she was glad that she didn't have P.E. Today. She went to the bathroom to go get a drink as she awoke really thirsty. As she left the bathroom she saw that she hadn't unpacked her shopping so she got to it. She first pulled out her new school bag, it was a pink messenger bag with a outline of a flower in black, in it she put a small pencil case which had a few pens and pencils within it. She then pull out a green folder and placed a pad of paper in it and put that in the bag too.

She had also bought a few text books for her to be able to catch up in the school work and she put them in her plastic drawers along with another few pads of paper.

The last thing she done was put her homework in the folder.

As she finished that she looked at the clock and saw it was almost 8.30. She rushed to get changed and quickly headed off for breakfast, luckily she had time to wolf something down before lessons started. Just as she got to the dining hall she almost ran into someone, but he had quick reflexes and he managed to catch her and pull her upright before she landed.

Her heart beat so much she felt like it was about to pop out of her chest.

'Oh my god! That was scary.' Sakura panted.

'Are you alright?' A familiar voice said.

'Yes I'm fine now. Thank you.' She looked up and saw it was Lee who had saved her.

'Okay. I have to go now.' He said and walked off, not without looking back at her before he turned the corner to make sure she was okay.

Sakura watched him until he was around the corner and went into the room grab breakfast.

As Ino had said the day before they had Kurenai-sensei for maths. Sakura wasn't exactly the best at maths but nor was she the worst. Kurenai-sensei managed to teach the lesson so they understood the basics and then they kicked it up another notch onto harder things without being confused, so Sakura would hazard a guess and say she was a good teacher.

Even though Sakura was sitting next to him, Lee never said a word to her, following on from his promise from yesterday, but to him Sakura seemed to be in a mood with him, hence his quick retreat this morning. Sakura, however, wasn't in a mood with him, she was just waiting for him to talk to her first. But as the day wore on it was proved he wasn't going to say anything, so she decided to bite the bullet during their final break between maths and English Literature and talk to him.

Since it had decided to rain heavily earlier, nobody left the classroom and stayed in small groups talking quietly. The only people who didn't get involved in conversation were Sakura and Lee who stayed sitting in their seats.

Sakura turned towards him and asked, 'Are you alright Lee?'

'Hmm? I am fine. Why do you ask?' Lee said confused.

'Well you haven't said a word to me since this morning and you're usually more talkative than this.'

Lee sighed and looked down at the table, 'I thought you're in a mood with me because of yesterday.'

Sakura laughed at this which caused Lee to look up in surprise. She laughed so much that she had tears running down her face. She didn't even know why she found it funny. As she calmed down and wiped her eyes, she said, 'Oh Lee. You can say some funny things sometimes.'

'So you aren't in a mood with me?' Lee asked with a hopeful look on his face.

Sakura shook her head, 'No I'm not, yesterday was just a shock to me. To begin with yes, I thought you were trying to pull a joke on me and make me feel stupid but after I went to Lady Tsunade and she told me the truth, I'm glad and in debt to you once again for telling me what others would not.' Sakura said surprised at the formalness of the sentence, Lee's speech must have rubbed off on me she thought.

Lee finally smiled widely, 'I'm really glad, thank you.'

Sakura paused for a second and asked, 'What did I do?'

'You're giving me another chance and I'm very grateful. You have repaid your debt now.'

'You mean for helping me the other day with my bags?'

'Yes. You've forgiven me and that's all I asked. I won't mess up this time and that's a promise.' He said with his signature smile and a thumbs up. The clouds parted and sun shone down and glinted off Lee's white teeth.

With this the door opened and Kakashi-sensei started his second lesson of the day.

Everyone had done their homework however nobody realised they had to read it out to the class, probably because Kakashi-sensei didn't want as much work to do and to pass the lesson away so he could read without having to teach anything.

Kakashi-sensei decided to start at the front and work backwards so Sakura and Lee would be the last to read theirs out.

They stayed respectfully quiet while the others read theirs out to the class, many with blushes on their face because they were embarrassed. After Kiba had finished reading about Sasuke and had sat down it was Lee's turn to read about Sakura.

She was both anxious and nervous as to what he was about to say to the class about her. He cleared his throat and in his formal voice he started.

'Sakura is a kind sweet girl who always puts everyone else before herself. She worries over simple things and shows her compassion through it. Although she can be quite short-tempered at times she can also be quite calm about most things. She is very sincere and would do anything for a friend in need. In appearance, her hair is a fair pink colour and she is of average height, but her beauty far surpasses the flower of her name.'

Lee stopped and sat down, all Sakura could do was blush, she felt embarrassed over what he said. He found all that out over a few short meetings and lessons. She was shocked, he seemed to understand her more than she understood herself.

Once he sat down Sakura stood up and started reading her work out.

'Thoughtful, kind and generous. Lee is all of these things. He is polite and respectful to everyone, no matter their background. If a little stubborn and lacks some common sense at times, he is willing to put himself first in any kind of danger before a friend will. He is determined to prove himself even with some minor setbacks. He was the only one who would tell me the truth when he knew I shouldn't know. He is a loyal friend and always fulfils his promises.'

Sakura finished and sat down and hung her head to hide her face. The last sentence wasn't actually part of her work but she felt that it needed to be said.

With that, it was the end of class and the end of the day. Everyone rejoiced at this so they could go and have fun.

Sakura headed towards her dorm as Lee came up beside her.

'That was really sweet what you wrote about me.' He said with a faint blush growing from his neck up to his face.

'I could say the same about you too, y'know?' She said also blushing.

'I'm glad you think of me in that way. As a friend.' He said

'It's slightly embarrassing but I guess I'm glad you find me beautiful.'

'It's the truth though, I do.'

'Really?' She asked. After her parents nobody had ever called her beautiful and especially not from just a friend.

'Yeah, I really do. I have to head off now but it was nice all the same. Thank you.' He said and headed off.

Sakura stopped, blushed slightly and went to her room.

She went down to dinner with Ino and Hinata on time to find everybody but Lee sitting there. She was glad because it would have been slightly embarrassing to have him there. She started to notice a pattern of him not appearing at meals or coming in the last few minutes. He must be very devoted to his training she thought.

She sat down and immediately they started all laughing. She had a feeling she knew what it was about but she had to make sure.

'What's so funny?' She said innocently.

'Wondering where _Lee_ is?' Neji said giggling.

Sakura sighed, she already had this from Ino. Hinata was shy so she didn't joke about it but she said she was happy for them if that was how things were. There wasn't. She couldn't control what he said but maybe she shouldn't have said about how loyal a friend he was.

'I have no idea what you're talking about.' She said and went to go start eating her food. She hated being the one involved in jokes like this but she knew that if Lee didn't do anything else like he did then this would blow over quickly. If it was any other person she would find this funny.

Once again she sighed and started eating, trying to push away the thoughts which filled her mind about Lee.

**Re-reading that before posting i got slightly embarrassed at what Lee and Sakura had to say about each other, cheeks are still burning, lol. I hope that this story runs for a long period of time but because of exams there may be a small period where i dont update but i will be back, and soon.**

**Please review, arigatou x **


	6. Chapter 6:Meal

**SURPRISE! It's an early update :O**

**Aha, it may be an early update but there is a reason.**

**Guess what day it is?**

**It's Iruka-sensei's birthday. Happy Birthday Iruka-sensei ! I've noticed that Iruka-sensei isn't all that much of a big character in the Naruto story so i wanted to make him feel included, so to say.**

**Anyways, as this is an early update, there won't be another on saturday, so you'll have to wait a week and a few more days for the next chapter, and as I've just finished writing it, its a big one, a lot happens, i just hope i did well on it, either way you'll have to wait before you find out what i mean.**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

The rest of the week passed fairly quickly. Homework helped it fly by, of course, but even without it the days flew by.

Sakura was a lot less confused about everything as the days wore on. She came to terms with being a ninja and also everyone had stopped using her for jokes about her and Lee. All was well.

Many times over that week, she spent time with people from her class as they trained and she was amazed at what she saw. She saw feats of amazing strength and unbelievable speed. She found out the abilities of the other students she didn't know about. Choji could expand parts of his body like arms and legs even his whole body to provide extra strength. Both Hinata and Neji showed off their byakugan and amazing defences as Tenten used her weapons to try and break their defences and failed. Sakura seen Akamaru for the first time and found him adorable but he was fierce when they started training, she actually got a little scared at how much he changed in a short space of time.

She already knew that Shikamaru controlled shadows but that didn't stop her as she was interested in how it works so she asked if he would use it on her, he refused to begin with but she managed to persuade him. At first it felt weird but then she found it funny doing strange things as Shikamaru done them but she then seen how much of a disadvantage to others it would be if this was used in actual battle. He also told her that she could use a special ability to strangle the opponent but he's never used it on a person before, and he hoped he never will.

She didn't see much of Sasuke, she mostly stayed out of his way since nobody else was really friends with him except Naruto, but when she did bump into him, she saw he had powerful ninjutsu and taijutsu. Naruto on the other hand, she always seemed to find. She found that he could create multiple versions of himself, exactly the same as him, shadow clones he called them, which he said were real and not just illusions other could do.

Through spending time with each one of them she found that the strange clothes her classmates wore sometimes was actually their training gear and the ribbon with the school's symbol on is their headbands to show they are ninjas. To other people it would mean nothing but to them it meant everything. It showed that they were all equal even when some were disadvantaged or not. She also got closer in some way to each and every one of them and for some reason she found that she was particularly excited getting closer to Sasuke but she wasn't sure why that was.

However she spent most of her time with Ino and Lee with their individual training sessions.

She spent most of her time with Ino, not just because she was her best friend here, but because her ability was very strange to Sakura and she wanted to know more about it.

Sakura watched Ino as she trained while she done her homework. She wanted to get everything out of the way before she had to see Lady Tsunade tomorrow for her first training session. She was really looking forward to it. It was just before dinner and they were about to head in get some food.

'Ino?' Sakura asked.

'Hmm? What's up?' She asked.

She shook her head, thinking better of it, and smiled, 'It's nothing.'

Ino sat next to her on the bench and asked, 'No really, what is it?'

Sakura sighed. She was going to ask how she came to this school but she thought it was a bit too personal.

'Well, I was wondering. How did you come to this school in the first place?' Sakura asked both quietly and nervously.

Ino smiled, 'You don't have to be so nervous about asking me, you're my friend and I'd tell you anything. Also it's not like a bad thing happened, as such. My parents were telling me off, so I told them to leave me alone, and they did. When they came back after a while realising that I had made them go away they were so proud, well it was because they were ninja themselves. I was so surprised by it but I also knew it was true, you know what I mean?'

Sakura was listening politely and didn't intervene, she nodded saying, 'Yeah, I felt the same when I was told, except I didn't take it as well as you did.' She finished while smiling remembering how it happened. Thank you Lee, she thought to herself.

'I thought you took it quite well in all honesty. Anyway, I found out and my parents contacted the school to let them know the situation. So I was accepted and here I am.'

Sakura pondered this for a moment and a wave of sadness overcame her. 'It must be nice being able to tell your parents about it and not to keep it a secret.' She said with a sad smile on her face. Genuinely pleased that Ino's parents knew about who she was and she didn't have to stay quiet about what could be her greatest opportunity yet or probably ever, but also sad about how lonely she was about it.

It seemed everybody else's parents had some kind of connection with the world which she and her new friends lived in, but with her, nothing. She felt like an outsider when she considered the fact that their families were involved in this secret but hers wasn't. She had no family members of which she knew of, who she could talk to about this. Yeah, she had her friends but they have no idea what kind of pain she was going through. The only person she knew would understand would be Gaara but she couldn't even tell him of her predicament.

However she pushed the thought away to try and cheer herself up. She hated feeling sad so she always tried to make herself happy by pretending to be.

'It must suck, your parents not being able to share the experience with you.' Ino said, thinking about what it must be like for Sakura and shivered slightly from the thought.

'It does, but I'd rather they not know.' Sakura said cheerfully receiving a confused look from Ino. She continued, 'Because my parents would be constantly worrying about me and my training. Also I don't think they'd believe me to begin with, so if I was to tell them I'd have to wait until I could prove it.'

Ino understood what she was saying but was confused as to the sudden change in mood. Maybe in time she would come to understand the inner workings of Sakura but for now she was sitting there in silence.

'Do you think we should head off for dinner? It is getting a little late.' Sakura asked Ino, which snapped her out of her daze.

'Huh?' Ino said looking at Sakura wondering whether she had spoken or it was just her mind but she saw her face and realised it was real, 'Wha? Oh yeah, I'm starved.' Ino replied shaking her head as Sakura gathered up her schoolbooks and they headed to the dining hall.

When they got there and sat down, Sakura's heart sunk when she saw that Sasuke wasn't there however Naruto's face lit up when he saw her there. She didn't know why she was disheartened by it and why Naruto was acting as he had. She had a hunch for both but she didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Sakura spent most of her evening in the dining hall with various friends. There was a steady stream of people coming in and out but as it quietened down there was still no sign of Sasuke and, just as worryingly, Lee.

Sakura asked a girl who she knew was here before her if she had seen either of them.

'Erm... Sasuke came and left just before you got here but I haven't seen Lee all day.' She said and turned back to her friends.

Sakura started to get worried about Lee. He never turned up for lunch and she doubted he had breakfast either. Sakura then got an idea. If he didn't come to meals, then she would go to him with them. It made her feel useful to do something like that so she got up and grabbed a plate and headed to Lee's training grounds.

She felt nervous as she was nearing her destination. How would she present it to him? Would it look like it was a different gesture than it was? It's not like it was anything special. She didn't know and her heart rate sped up because of it but she shook her head to try and snap herself out of it. Why was she so nervous? He was just a good friend and she's doing something nice for him. Anyway it was Sasuke she was interested in, but why did she feel so guilty when around him?

Sakura reached the outdoors again and was buffeted by a cold gust of wind which blew her short hair out around her. She tried to smooth it down as well as she could while making sure the plate of food she had stayed balanced. As she walked the wind died down but was replaced by a freezing chill.

She first saw a mop of black hair and then saw the white of his bandages. From what she could see, he was doing press-ups using one finger. It looked painful to Sakura but Lee made no face of discomfort, instead she could see a face full of determination and she could also see his mouth moving rapidly as he lowered himself and pushed back up while the finger only mildly wobbled

'9993...9994...9995...9996.' Sakura heard Lee say as she neared his position. She noticed that he was actually counting the amount of press-ups.

'9997...9998...9999...10000' and with that he collapsed on the floor. Sakura hurried over to him. As she approached he lifted his head up and saw her face. He quickly composed himself and stood up. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, she had thought he had seriously hurt himself even after the amount of times she had told him to be careful.

'Don't scare me like that Lee. I thought you were hurt.' Sakura whined at him.

Child-like, Lee scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous giggle. 'Sorry. I'm fine. I didn't mean to make you worry.' Secretly feeling pleased that she worried as much as she did about him. Nobody other than his family cared that much and most of the time they weren't really bothered about him except Dad, because Lee was the black sheep of the family.

Sakura stiffled a smile and sat on large fallen log. Lee sat next to he and noticed the plate of food she had, he innocently wondered why she had it.

'Why have you got a plate of food and why have you got it here?' He asked curiously.

Sakura blushed slightly and replied, 'I brought it for you considering you haven't eaten anything all day and I thought you should eat something. Since you're so stubborn I knew you wouldn't leave, So I came to you instead.'

Lee slightly blushed at this too and his eyes started watering up due to her thoughtfulness, he was very touched by this. 'Th.. thank you Sakura-chan, you are so kind-you didn't have to do this just for me' He said and took the plate off her as She handed it to him and started ravenously eating the food.

Sakura smiled and said, 'no need to say thank you it's the least I could do for you.'

'That hit the spot.' He said with a satisfied sigh. He looked at Sakura and seen that she was shivering. She only had a thin t-shirt on and a pair of thin black leggings and a skirt on. Lee picked up his jumper which he had hung on the low branch of a nearby tree. He handed it to her.

'This should keep you warm.' He said.

She took it and wrapped it around herself. He was right it was warm and it felt nice and soft. 'Thanks.' She said flashing him a smile.

Lee giggled slightly and said, 'no need to say thank you it's the least I could do for you.'

It took Sakura a second to realise that these were the words she had said to him earlier, then she giggled along with him which turned into loud laughter which between them could have been heard over the whole school grounds if it weren't for the howling wind which seemed to surround them but not physically affect them.

After they recovered from this giggling fit, Lee said, 'Thank you Sakura-chan, for everything.'

Sakura looked at him puzzled, 'What do you mean?'

'You treat me like an equal even when everyone else doesn't.' He said sadly.

This change of tone scared Sakura. She was so used to him being his happy self that she had forgot that he had other feelings too. All she knew is that she didn't want him to be upset anymore.

'But what about Gai-sensei? Doesn't he treat you the same as everyone else?' She said trying to, hopefully, cheer him up.

'I guess, in a way. He always favoured Tenten though. He wants me to become strong and he's proud of me because I'm hard-working and determined but he can't fully be proud of me because I can't so ninjutsu or genjutsu. Only taijutsu.' He hung his head as if he was ashamed.

Sakura reached out and patted his shoulder in sympathy. He looked up into her kind, gentle, green eyes and felt that everything is going to be okay but he didn't exactly know how, he just did.

'Lee-kun, You're more than what l could be, so don't beat yourself up about. I'm here for you need to say anything.' Sakura said sympathetically.

'Sakura-chan.' He croaked, and as Sakura saw, his eyes started welling up.

He cried for along time. He cried about a lot of things from his past, but every time he tried to say something to her he just couldn't form the words. As the night sky descended upon them, Lee finally calmed down. Luckily in her bag she had a pack of tissues so she handed him one and he took it graciously. Sakura looked at his face and saw that he looked like a wreck, his large round eyes were bloodshot and puffy. He dabbed at his eyes and blew his nose and pocketed the wet tissue. When he next looked at Sakura he had his trademark grin on.

'I'm very sorry you had to see that. Please ignore that outburst and forgive me' Lee said politely.

'You done nothing wrong Lee-kun. You shouldn't hide your feelings like that, it would kill you.' Sakura said worriedly.

'It is a sign of weakness to show feelings.' Lee replied with confidence.

'But it's your feelings and emotions which make us strong, and you're the strongest person I've met, don't be afraid to tell me how you feel, because I'll be here to listen, no matter what.' Sakura told him seriously.

'Thank you.' Lee said standing up and holding out his hand to her he continued, 'It's getting late, shall I escort you back to your dormitory?'

Sakura blushed and, while keeping his jumper wrapped around her, she took his hand.

It was only after they had reached her dormitory door did they let go of each others hand.

**Well that's it for the chapter. I wanted to show Sakura and Lee getting closer, but just closer as friends. I know it may seem more than that and it may be because I really want them to be together now and not later when i've got it planned for but I promise you, it will follow the original way, as much as ill hate myself for it lol.**

**Anyways please read and review**

P.S. Thanks for the encouraging reviews, I get so happy when i find another review which i haven't seen yet pop up, i hope for more :3


	7. Chapter 7:Dream

**Firstly I have to say I'm really sorry for this update being a day late. Lots of different things made this happen, like L.A. Noire the game, just got it yesterday and spent most of the day playing it, so i didn't get a chance to upload at my usual time. Also drinking with my family until about 4am meant I didn't get a chance to upload early morning. And it would have been up earlier but my parents decided to go out for a really long drive to find somewhere for lunch. So I'm really sorry for this meaning it's late, it won't happen again I promise.**

**Okay now this chapter is one of my favourites i've done so far, i love it. Also for all you Gaara fans out there, there is a pretty nice bit in this just for you ^.^ (i wonder how many times it will take until that becomes a reality, instead of it being just for me ^.^)**

**Finally as today is the 12/6/11 i'd like to wish Kurenai-sensei a late happy birthday as it was yesterday**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

As she was running through the dusty streets of Suna, she didn't know if she was running to or away from something. All she knew was she had to get there. Wherever there was.

She thought she heard a loud male scream and she looked behind her, there was nothing around but she was sure she has heard something. There was a strange presence in the air and she wondered if that was what was stalking her.

She turned back and around and ran. She had wasted too much time there, she was going to be late and she knew she was. She reached the edge of the village and saw figures in the distance in the desert which surrounded her home.

They were her destination. She sprinted over the rough terrain and as she got closer she seen that two of the shapes were on the floor, unmoving, yet the one she knew was the tallest of the figures was kneeling at a boy her age's feet.

A large shape enveloped the boy and man and after it had passed, the man was as the other two, dead, yet the boy was kneeling as if in pain. She fell to her knees meters away from the scene and started crying.

She was too late. She almost managed to prevent it but she never reached there in time. The boy was now alone and an orphan with no family left. He was alone, and she felt it was all her fault.

At the sound of her anguish the boy snapped out of what could be called a fit and looked at her with what was a look he had never gave her before, a look of utter hatred and contempt.

This shocked her, and managed to stop her crying.

'Wh..why? Why did you do it?' She said to him looking towards the ground, as quietly as she said it she knew that he would hear her.

'Only you could tame the beast. You left. And now the beast is free. Who knows what can happen now.' He growled like an animal with squinting, evil eyes.

'But you would never do this, this isn't who you are.' She said scared by the change he had undergone, 'You're stronger than this.'

He sneered at her and said, 'You don't know the true me, you only saw the outer shell which contained me. Even he didn't know his true destiny. But now I'm stronger and more apparent than ever and can control him. You left, and he became weak.'

She looked up at him and said, 'I'm sorry, Gaara. This is all my fault.' Her eyes found his face and saw the new formation on his face, he now had a blood red tattoo on his forehead, of the kanji symbol for love, ai.

He raised his hand up from his folded arms and all she heard him say was, 'Sabaku kyuu.' before she felt herself be encased in the surrounding sand and with a clench of his fist and a scream from her mouth, the life was crushed out of her.

Sakura shot up out of her bed and was breathing rapidly. It was only until after she put a hand to her face did she realise that tears were running down her face. It was only a dream, she thought thankfully, but it felt so realistic. It felt like she was actually there with him.

She went to the bathroom and threw cold water on her face to wake her up. Her heart was still racing, she was so scared.

As many times as she told herself that it was a dream, the same amount of times her gut told her that it wasn't. Did she see the future?

She shook her head rapidly back and forth. That's just not possible. Is it? She wasn't sure. Anything could be possible. She knew nothing of ninja ways. Maybe prophetic dreams did exist in this world.

She sat down on her bed and looked at the time. It was getting close to 6am. Any other time she would try and get back to sleep but at this point she knew that was never going to happen. She reached for her clothes and decided to go for a walk to clear her mind.

The walk was peaceful and relaxing but it did not remove the foreboding feeling she had felt earlier. Luckily it was early morning and not many people were awake so at least she had a bit of privacy, not that it helped much.

She knew what she had to do but the problem was that she couldn't. She needed to see Gaara but she knew she couldn't leave here. What made her smile slightly was a few days ago she wouldn't have passed up the chance to leave here yet now, when her friend could be in great danger, she couldn't bring herself to leave.

She decided to ring him soon, as it was mid-morning now, so she headed to get some food.

As soon as she walked through the doors to get something to eat, she was pounced on by Ino.

'Where were you? I knocked on your door and waited forever before I went in and found you weren't there. I got worried.' She complained at Sakura.

'I'm sorry. I woke up early and couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. I should have left a note and explained.'

'It's okay. What was up?' Ino asked curiously.

Sakura shivered at the thought of it. 'I don't really want to talk about it '

Ino was going to keep at it and find out what happened but she saw Sakura's troubled and worried face and decided that she would tell her if and when shes ready.

'You are never gonna guess who's down for breakfast.' Ino said changing the subject.

Sakura was grateful for the subtle change of subject as they headed to grab some toast, 'Who?' She asked cheerfully.

'Lee.' She said as if it was the most amazing thing.

Sakura looked over to their usual table and saw him sitting there looking slightly nervous as he never ate with other people very often. She noticed there was a free seat next to him so she sat down there.

When she sat down he looked up at the sound of it and seen her there. He smiled

'Morning Lee-kun, you don't normally eat with us, what gives?' Sakura asked curiously.

Lee blushed a little and said, 'Sakura-chan, morning. You said last night that you worry when I don't eat. I don't want you to worry anymore.'

Sakura got a faint blush through remembering last night, but tried to push it away.

'That's good. You need food to be stronger.'

'That's true.' Lee said with a slight hint of a joke.

People who knew Lee couldn't help but stare at the two of them casually talking over breakfast. For one reason, Lee never normally ate with everyone else and he was never this relaxed around people, he always spoke very formally with others, for another reason.

As Naruto watched the scene before him he started to become jealous of the friendship they had over a few days. Many times he tried to join in on the conversation but either by total accident that they never heard him or he was being ignored. He hoped that it was a accident.

Since it was a Saturday, most people were going into town, but for Sakura it was the first step on her way to becoming a ninja. Sakura was going to go get changed into something more comfortable for her meeting with Lady Tsunade, and give Gaara a phone call before she headed off.

'So what are your plans for today?' Sakura asked Lee before she went to clear her plate up.

'Need to go get some supplies from the village and them probably training all day." Lee replied. He got up and picked up her plate for her. She was about to protest but he cut across her and said, 'I can tell that you're worried about something, you go and do what you need to do, and don't worry about a thing.'

Sakura looked at Lee gratefully, 'Thank you.' She said getting up and heading with him towards the door, 'I might see you later while you're training, don't push yourself too hard, okay?'

Lee gave her his usual smile and said, 'I promise I won't hurt myself while training and I don't break my promises.' He gave her the thumbs up and went to clean up as Sakura headed off to her room to phone Gaara. She couldn't help but smile at Lee's innocence as she wandered through the school as she looked for her dorm.

When she picked up her phone she found she had got a missed call and a text but it wasn't from who she wanted to speak to.

**Morning honey. How was your first week? No need to rush but ring us as soon as you can okay? We love you x**

She could tell that it was her mother who had sent it. It made her smile but she didn't have time to reply right now so she made a mental note to do it later.

She quickly scrolled through her contact list until she reached Gaara's number, and then hit the call button. This time she wasn't bothered about the fact that the time zones were different, she just needed to talk to him even if he was a bit grouchy at her for waking him up. It rang for a while and on the fifth ring he picked up and he said agitated, 'Hello? Who is this and what do you want?' She knew that he was pissed off but if she told him she was sure that he'd understand, question was, could she tell him? But as she had decided before she had to tell him, at least about the dream, not about the ninja thing.

'Morning to you too Gaara.' Sakura said.

Sakura could imagine him leaning over his bed to check the time, 'What are you ringing me at this time for?' Gaara said sleepily as he yawned and wiped sleep from his dark eyes.

'Is everything okay over there? Nothing strange happened?' Sakura said quickly and to the point, she said it desperately and Gaara picked up on this tone of voice.

'Sakura? Are you alright? You don't sound like yourself.' He said concerned, no longer angry about being woke up.

'Please, just answer the question.' She pleaded.

'Yeah, everything's fine, nothing's changed since you left.' He said worried about his friend.

'Kankuro and Temari? They're all fine?' She asked frantically.

'Yes, now will you tell me what's up?' He said trying to calm his friend down and find out what was troubling her to begin with.

Sakura then launched into what happened in her dream, as she got closer and closer to the end, she started crying as she had that morning.

After much consoling from Gaara she had finally got control over herself again and she regained her composure.

'I'm sorry about that, it was just so scary and it disturbed me greatly.' She apologised.

'No need to say sorry, I'm here when you need me, that's what friends are for. You don't need to worry, I won't turn into that monster.' He said with a hint of a smile, 'I should be the one who should be sorry for snapping at you when I answered.'

Sakura responded with a slight giggle, 'It's okay. Though must admit it was slightly more aggressive than usual. What's up?'

'Nothing much, I just haven't slept well recently and I was actually asleep then.'

'Heh-heh. Sorry.' Sakura said guiltily.

'It's okay, I needed to get up now anyway.'

'Oh, you have plans?' Sakura asked surprised.

'I'm having to visit my grandma Chiyo.'

'Ohh, I haven't seen Granny Chiyo in sooo long, tell her I'm asking after her.' Sakura said reminiscent.

'Don't you have plans today?' He asked.

Sakura replied, 'As a matter of fact I...' She noticed the clock on her bed-side table, her meeting was in 5 minutes, 'Ohmigod sorry Gaara but I'm going to be late, bye.' She gushed as she put the phone down she heard Gaara say bye back to her. She quickly got herself ready and quickly hurried out to meet Lady Tsunade.

Meanwhile, in Suna.

Gaara put his phone down, and lay back down in his bed and he pulled the sheets up over his naked chest as he put a hand to his forehead trying to soothe his raging headache

He started to become really worried about Sakura, especially after having that dream, he could tell something wasn't adding up.

After his bad head had subsided, he got changed. His bed hardly looked lain in. Over the past week he's only had 3 nights sleep and on those nights he did sleep, it wasn't very much because his usual dreams were being invaded by another. It was the same disturbing dream night after night.

What disturbed him, now more than ever, was that Sakura was having the same dreams as him.

Sakura composed herself as she reached Lady Tsunade's office. She was only a few minutes late but she hoped that it wasn't a big problem.

She loudly knocked on the door and popped her head in, 'Sorry I'm late.'

'So you should be, being even just slightly late could mean that a mission would fail and your comrades gravely injured, maybe dead.

Sakura fully stepped into the room and bowed her head, 'I'm really sorry, a lot of things were happening and I lost track of time.'

'What's wrong?' She asked Sakura worriedly.

'Well...' Sakura hesitated, did she really need to tell her about it, but a voice in the back of her head told her that Lady Tsunade would be able to help answer some queries.

She proceeded to tell her of the dream. Last Tsunade's brow furrowed in places but she said nothing until Sakura had finished her story.

She sat for a minute pondering and finally said, 'I don't think you should worry about that dream. It won't do you any good to linger over them.' Last Tsunade said sternly.

'But what if..' Sakura started but was cut off by her teacher, 'It won't, I think it was just a dream, let it go. Shall we get started on what you came here to do.'

Sakura was about to protest but she saw the look she was given and just meekly nodded instead.

'The majority of this lesson will be spent outside in a private training grounds, we don't want any of the normal kids seeing what you're doing.' Lady Tsunade said.

Sakura nodded 'What am I going to be going today then?'

'Well firstly before we head outside, I'm going to teach you about Chakra and then I'm going to teach you how to gather Chakra outside. Are you ready?'

'Yes sensei.'

'Take a seat. Usually you would have a shorter period of time to learn these things, so I expect greater results from you when the time comes for you to make your debut.'

'Chakra, as you know, is the power what gives a shinobi his or her strength. Chakra can be found in every one of your body's cells, and from the mental and spiritual energy gained from experience, in other words, training.'

Sakura now realised why everyone trained as much, it was make to make more Chakra and become stronger.

'Chakra is important to perform jutsu. Jutsu is the techniques a ninja uses to fight, or in our case, use medical techniques. You have most likely seen some people's jutsu's over this week.'

'Yeah, I can only remember Naruto's though, the...kage bunshin no jutsu, right?' Sakura said slowly.

'That's right.'

'In order to perform jutsu you need to gather Chakra from both of these places and mix them together, different jutsu require different amounts of Chakra to be performed and so that amount needs to be formed or the jutsu won't be performed, understand so far?'

'I think so, I'm sure it will sink in after a while. What are the hand signs to do with it?'

'Well the hand signs help bring out and mix the Chakra to perform the desired jutsu.'

Sakura nodded understandingly. She wasn't just nodding because she felt obligated to do so, but because what she was saying made sense to her and even though she was hearing it for the first time, it felt strangely like second nature to her.

'But standing here isn't going to help you train. Let's head outside.' Lady Tsunade said suddenly appearing by the door out of nowhere. She opened it and allowed Sakura to leave first before she closed it and led the way.

As they were walking, they bumped into Kakashi-sensei reading a book as usual. They stopped, Lady Tsunade needed to have a word with him.

'Kakashi, round up all the Jonin and meet in my office in 30 minutes.' Lady Tsunade said in an authoritative voice.

'As you wish.' He said simply and since nobody else was around he used a hand sign and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

When Sakura managed to catch up with Lady Tsunade she asked, 'He used jutsu to do that didn't he?'

She nodded, 'yes its a basic technique.'

'Who are the Jonin?' Sakura asked curiously.

'The Jonin are the strongest class of ninja below the Hokage, all the teachers you have are Jonin except Iruka who is a Chunin.' She replied.

'So what am I then?'

'You're a Genin like all your fellow students.'

Sakura thought about what Lady Tsunade had said and then she realised something.

'Wait, the Hokage's a ninja?' Sakura exclaimed.

Lady Tsunade laughed at her remark, 'Well of course he is. He's the strongest ninja in this village.'

'So there are other Hokage's in other villages. There's the Kazekage, Mizukage, Raikage and the Tsuchikage all over the world, we basically compete with the other Kages and their schools for ninja students and for missions when you've left school.'

Sakura was surprised even though she knew that they weren't the only ninja around but she was shocked at how far this "conspiracy" went.

Lady Tsunade led the way to a secluded area surrounded by trees.

'So what are we going to be doing here?' Sakura asked, seeing no equipment or tools anywhere she was wondering what she was meant to do.

Lady Tsunade gestured towards the trees. 'Tree climbing.'

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, it can't be that easy, can it? She went up to a tree with a low hanging branch and lifted herself up on to it and started to climb

'Sakura? What are you doing?' Lady Tsunade said confused.

'I'm climbing a tree.' She said, it was obvious what she was doing.

'Come back down here.'

Sakura jumped the short distance to the ground and landed lightly.

'I meant tree climbing, without hands.' Lady Tsunade explained further.

'But? How the hell am I meant to do that?' Sakura exclaimed out of shock.

'With your Chakra , of course.' Lady Tsunade smiled at Sakura's reaction.

'How exactly do I do that?'

'If you keep quiet for a minute then you'll find out.' Lady Tsunade scolded.

Sakura immediately closed her mouth. She hadn't been here very long but she knew that her sensei had a foul temper and it would do her no good to anger her this early on. Sakura watched as Lady Tsunade walked to a tree.

'First you gather your Chakra within yourself with the use of the hand sign.' Lady Tsunade explained firstly, she demonstrated by forming a hand sign.

Sakura tried to copy her hand sign but she couldn't form it properly.

'Next you gather the summoned Chakra all the way to your feet, this will make you "stick" to the tree.' She said, waited a moment and then started walking up the side of a tree trunk. She was walking up it at a perpendicular angle to the tree, without falling backwards or any tricks to make her believe she was walking up the tree.

As Lady Tsunade reached the top she jumped down to Sakura's level and said, 'That's how I want you to climb the tree.'

Sakura loudly gulped, how did Lady Tsunade expect her to do this, she couldn't even do the hand sign so how could she gather her Chakra.

Sakura tried the hand sign again but she still struggled.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned round to see her sensei's face looking over her shoulders at her feeble hand sign.

'That's definitely wrong.' She said as she made a few minor adjustments and the sign was much better. It felt strange to Sakura but it could have been because she had never done it before and it was her first time.

'Now, imagine that there's a pool of energy within you and your pulling the energy out from everywhere.' Sakura did as she was told, and as she did she felt a warm feeling running through her body. This new sensation shocked her so much she flinched and broke the hand sign, the energy was gone.

Lady Tsunade frowned a little but when she saw Sakura's worried face said, 'It's okay, its all new to you right? Just try again, you did well to gather your Chakra so quickly. Don't be so surprised this time.'

Sakura formed the hand sign without any help this time and tried again. This time her Chakra came to her a lot faster than before and she enjoyed the warm sensation it brought, she could tell that she was going to be doing this during the colder months ahead.

'Now imagine it gathering in the soles of your feet, not your shoes your feet.' Lady Tsunade said as she circled Sakura watching her movements.

She felt the warmness travel down from her arms and body along her legs until it reached her feet. She could feel the Chakra sitting there waiting for her command.

'Okay, you can open your eyes now.' Lady Tsunade said. Sakura was unaware that she had closed her eyes while gathering the Chakra.

She handed Sakura a strange looking knife from her pouch, 'This is called a kunai, its the throwing knives that ninja use. I want you to run at the tree and try to run up it and mark how far you get with the kunai before you fall, and try and beat it next time. As you become more adept you wont need hand signs to gather your Chakra but that wont be a while for you.'

Sakura looked at a tree, it seemed rather ominous to her, although that was probably because she was having to run up it.

She took a few steps back and started running towards her chose tree. She knew as soon as she put her foot on the trunk that she wasn't going to do it but as she did her foot slid back down and she ran into the tree. Her face stung but there was no damage.

She looked at her sensei slightly disappointed in herself.

'I didn't expect you to get it first time round, I don't think I did either. Just keep trying. What do you think went wrong there?' Lady Tsunade asked her.

'Is it I didn't gather enough Chakra?' Or too much?' Sakura asked.

'You were right first time, you hadn't gathered enough. This means that the Chakra gathered couldn't support your weight and you slipped. If you had put too much in then the wood would crack and splinter from the pressure forced upon it. You need to get the balance right, that's why this is the first step in Chakra control, and usually the first step in ninja training because you need to control your Chakra to perform jutsu and jutsu is what shinobi need.' Lady Tsunade replied in depth.

'But what about Lee, he has no Chakra so how can he be a ninja but he can use taijutsu?' Sakura asked being slightly nosey.

'Chakra is made from the stamina we have, we gain stamina from our experiences and training. You need both to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. Taijutsu only uses stamina so it means Lee can use hand-to-hand combat and basic skills and still be a ninja. He has Chakra, I've felt some but not enough to perform jutsu effectively.'

Sakura felt sorry for Lee again, being the only one who couldn't do jutsu's. She shook that feeling away and concentrated on what she was to do, 'I'm going to go again. How much Chakra do you reckon I have?'

Lady Tsunade looked startled by this question but answered it truthfully, 'Not much yet but it could be much much bigger. It would take almost all of your Chakra to do this task.'

Sakura nodded wordlessly. She focused with all her strength, blocking off all sounds and sights and focused on finding and drawing out the Chakra she had found just recently. She formed the hand sign with no trouble and drew more Chakra than she had before. When she felt she had gathered more Chakra than last time, she forced it to her feet.

She suddenly opened her eyes and without hesitation, she ran. Her foot hit the tree solidly. She pulled the other foot as quickly as she could off the ground and placed it in front of her.

She managed to take 3 steps before she felt her foot slip, she remembered the knife, kunai or whatever it was called, in her hand and scratched a layer of bark of the tree and pushed off before she fell down. She landed neatly onto the ground and looked up at the tree. She managed to reach a small milestone on the height of the tree. She soon realised why Lady Tsunade had picked this area, the trees were all stupidly high.

'Well done, fairly impressive. In this exercise you need to keep your Chakra fixed to your feet as your running up the tree. As you can see you did well to begin with then your started to lose it.' Lady Tsunade said in a pleased tone.

'How can I keep Chakra fixed to my feet if I'm focused on trying to run up the tree?' Sakura asked.

Lady Tsunade gave a knowing smile, 'That. Is something you have to figure out for yourself, the journey of becoming a shinobi isn't written in black and white. You can't always follow orders, you have to take your own path as well. When you reach the top come and find me and we'll continue.'

With that she took her leave. With a swish of her jacket she hurried back to her office.

Sakura stared after her for minute. I have to make my own path, right? but it's just so hard when you don't know which direction you're meant to take, she thought complacently.

'These are my orders!' Lady Tsunades' voice ran through her office. She had just finished giving the Jonin a background check on their new long-term mission and was just about to give the orders.

'You are to discreetly watch over the Kazekage's son and report any strange activity directly to me. Kakashi, summon the ninja hounds and have them watch over the boy until a more permanent situation can be put in place. This mission cannot be allowed to fail so until further notice you are to take turns in summoning the dogs, Pakkun shall stay here to give us the information directly. Dismissed.'

All the Jonin except one, left the room. 'Do you have a problem, Kakashi?' Lady Tsunade asked.

'The Kazekage's son has become an interesting fellow, hmm?' Kakashi stated.

'That may be, but we can't afford any casualties. That arrogant man putting something like that into his own son, its monstrous. The child is just a victim. Go, now Kakashi, we cannot waste any time.'

Kakashi opened the window and jumped on the balcony and went into the forest. He bit the end of his thumb, drawing blood. He performed a variety of hand signs and then thrust his hand to the ground, 'Kuchiyose no Jutsu' and 8 different size and breed dogs appeared in a tight circle in front of him.

'What's the mission this time, Kakashi?' Pakkun said with strange ease for a dog.

'Find and track the Kazekage's son. Pakkun, stay with me. Okay? Scatter.' He said with a wave of his hand.

'The Kazekage's son is causing trouble?' Pakkun asked as they walked back to the school.

'Not yet but he might.' Kakashi said.

'Hmm. Never thought much of the boy.' Pakkun said stalking off into the bushes ahead.

Kakashi then spoke aloud but he wasn't expecting a reply, he was peaking only to himself. 'That boy has potential, if he can tame the beast within him. You've certainly became something, haven't you? Sabaku no Gaara?'

**Anyways yet again I'm sorry hope the longer length of this chapter may make up for it, please review, it really helps. Thanks to Kyoshira7 my faith in this story has been renewed, thank you ^.^ **

**Also please check out my other story Naruto:the novel, thank you**


	8. Chapter 8:Chakra

**Hey, it's saturday and time for another update.**

**This week has had its ups and downs for me. On the plus side, i have now finished exams. On the down side, I lost my grandad this week. So yeah big things.**

**Forgot to mention last update that chapter 7 is the start of a 4 chapter day for Sakura, and i'll say this i wouldn't have ever thought what was going to happen in chapter 10 would happen if i wasn't writing this myself, but enough crypticness for now and on with the chapter**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto :(

Sakura looked up at the tree she was supposed to be climbing. She hadn't improved much since Lady Tsunade had left her here. She had, on several occasions, thought about climbing up a tree normally slicing the bark near the top and waiting a while and finding her but she knew that Lady Tsunade would want a demonstration when they returned there.

She sat down on a log and kicked it out of frustration. She had no idea how she was supposed to keep her Chakra within her feet so she would stick to the tree. It annoyed her how she wasn't given any advice how to do it.

She gasped slightly as she came to a conclusion, was the answer so simple. Maybe it was one of these things that people had different methods of doing things and she had to find her method unless she wont be able to deal with it in the midst of battle.

She looked at the tree with a new face, she wasn't defeated anymore, she was determined now, and she was going to do this. However, she'd have to logically think about what she's to do and how to do it.

'Hmm.' She said. She felt that speaking aloud helped her concentrate and work things out in her mind, although, underneath it all she done to stop herself from feeling lonely.

'So, I have to get up there by keeping my Chakra constant so I make sure that I stay stuck to the tree, and to gather Chakra I need to form the hand sign and wait a while till I have enough. Then I force it to my feet and then... keep it there somehow, but how?'

All this thinking and talking was starting to give her a headache but she knew that she couldn't let it affect her so she stayed calm and thought about something else, and soon the headache was gone.

'Hmm.' She repeated. 'Is it because I have to concentrate on more than one thing while I'm running? I do seem to worry about the tree when I run at it but, Lady Tsunade says we must gather Chakra and be able to use jutsu to fight, I'm also sure that in battles we must use this technique to climb up tree and other types of surfaces similar.'

She gathered her Chakra once again and ran up the tree. She managed to reach a new height, not much better than before but it was in the right direction. She smiled once she landed. That must be it, she was thinking too much about the tree and not of the Chakra in her feet. She knew that she hadn't built up enough Chakra to go very far but it proved that if concentrating on keeping the Chakra in her feet got her that far then imagine if she gathered the necessary Chakra to climb the tree, how far would she get then?

Sakura started gathering Chakra again, after the amount times she had done this she could definitely feel the consequences, she felt heavy and tired but she could stop just yet. She gathered more Chakra than she had ever gathered before and started running up the tree before she had managed to get it all to her feet but she was more focused on keeping the Chakra in her feet and just allowing the Chakra to travel there on it's own power. This time she got near to where she had reached last time but this time the bark shattered from underneath her and sent her flying down. She landed and a shower of splinters of bark and leaves came flowing down from the tree-tops and the disaster site.

She she pushed herself up and looked at the tree she noticed that there was something wrong with the tree but she wasn't sure what it was, she wasn't at a height where she could easily see. So against her sensei's wishes she started climbing the tall tree to where she broke the bark.

Once she reached the site she loudly gasped. She was very surprised to see the hole she had caused. She had managed to punch a large hole through the trunk of the tree. Sakura, making sure it was real, put her hand through the hole and felt the trunk on the other side.

Pulling her hand back she jumped back to the ground and shakily took a seat of the log she was on earlier.

Sakura became slightly scared of the power she had within her because she didn't know how to control it yet. She realised this that was the meaning of this exercise, to control her Chakra not use it and destroy everything.

Sakura took a deep breath to steady herself and out loud said, 'Pull yourself together Sakura. You're a ninja and it's time you started acting like it.' Releasing the deep breath she was once again calm, even if on the scared side of calm, she was still calm.

'Okay so if I gather too much Chakra that happens, okay got it. If I don't gather enough I only manage a few steps. So I have to get a stable balance between the two. Also once I have the right amount of Chakra I have to concentrate to move it to my feet and keep in there and not think about the running. Now I know why this is the first task of a ninja. You have to be able to gather and maintain a steady amount of Chakra.' She knew now that once she had found the right amount of Chakra and became familiar with it and learned how the required amount felt like then she'd be fine. The challenge was finding that level, and the challenge was just beginning for her now she knew what was to be done.

She knew that if she didn't know what she knew now then she would be stumbling blindly, letting Chakra out through the soles of her feet and only getting so far up the tree and failing in her task.

She could feel the tiredness washing through her. She didn't have a lot of Chakra running through her body and she knew that, but she felt tired at the lack of Chakra in her body. She soon realised that she would need to eat and rest soon to regain her strength. Maybe she could go get some before going to see Lady Tsunade.

Sakura stood up slowly making sure she stayed steady on her feet. She knew she only had a few chances left at this and that bugged her but she knew that she was becoming less strong as she worked. She had been out here for a few hours so it would be understandable if she needed to take a break and get some rest sometime soon. Her belly rumbled in reply, so rest and food then she smiled.

She moved to a different tree and formed the hand sign, she gathered her Chakra once again. She held her pose for a while slowly gathering the Chakra, trying to feel what the right amount was. She waited and waited, she had a lot of Chakra gathered already, not as much as last time, not enough to cause damage, but also not enough for the job to be done. She was trying to find the moment when her whole body felt like this was enough and she hadn't found it, not yet. The warmness of the Chakra enveloped her body like soft flicking flames licking at the bare patches on her body but not burning, just a warm touch.

Then she felt that threshold and knew that it was enough. She immediately stopped gathering the Chakra and started forcing it to her feet. Once there she made sure she kept it within the confines of her feet, like herding sheep into a pen and locking the gate behind it and standing there to make sure no sheep tried to escape. When she looked down at her feet she saw a pale blue outline to her feet and she knew that this was her Chakra made visible. She almost lost control when she saw this but managed to catch it before it left.

When she thought about it, it didn't feel like the Chakra had tried to leave her feet even when she was distracted like that. She knew that she would be wasting a chance at completing her task if she tested it out but she needed to know whether she may be right or not.

She slowly started to stop concentrating on her feet and onto other things, like 'ooh that's a nice bird' and 'I wonder what's for dinner tonight', yet her Chakra hardly made a move from her feet. Sakura was elated with this and jumped up and down on the spot, higher than she was used to through the high concentration on Chakra at the soles of her feet made her jump like a rabbit.

Sakura was pleased that she had started to be better at controlling her Chakra, like Lady Tsunade had told her she would, and that she could now be able to do other things while keeping her Chakra in one place.

She had wasted some of her Chakra but she didn't really mind. So Sakura quickly got to work on gathering the necessary Chakra again at much quicker pace because she knew what level she was looking for. Once reached she had done as before and 'locked' it within her feet. She grabbed the kunai she had dropped on the floor and started running towards the tree. Before she knew it she had reached the half-way mark and she was pleased that she had reached that far. Even thought Sakura was distracted she knew that her Chakra level had not changed in her feet.

When she reached the top she sliced the bark and landed on a near branch on the tree. She looked down and she suddenly got a little dizzy. Sakura wasn't scared of heights but she was quite high up. Any other time she would have fell off from the tree due to dizziness but since she had her Chakra still in the bottom of her feet she stayed stuck to the branch, even if she was upside down. Sakura quickly climbed back up so she was the right way up again. It seemed like there was no way down without breaking your legs or dying.

Sakura thought that maybe another part of this test is to be able to get down without getting hurt, why else would Lady Tsunade find a place which had trees this high. She realised that she could quite as easily run down the tree too. She decided to give it a try, she had no other sensible options and she knew that there was nobody who would be able to see or hear her because she looked like she was really far away from school. She sighed deeply, 'I hope this works' she said, and leaned over the branch and onto the trunk.

Coming down was another experience altogether. Mentally running up a tree is fine, because you cant see the ground coming racing towards you as you run down. Sakura was really scared she let out a squeal as she came close to the ground and jumped off, down a little flip in the air and landed neatly on the ground. Her knees gave way and she collapsed on the floor. She crawled over to the log and leaned against it as she caught her breath and let her heartbeat slow down. She knew that she had just used up almost all her Chakra and she needed to rest for a little while.

After a ten minute rest she felt much better so she headed off back to the school. It didn't take as long to get back than it did to get there, then again she had other thoughts in her head, she had no idea what the next step was going to be and she didn't want to find out just yet. All she wanted to do was sleep. She was very tempted to go back to her room as she stalked through the hallways of Konoha Private Academy. However as she was about to head there, she bumped into Lady Tsunade.

'Lady Tsunade! I was just on my way to find you.' Sakura lied.

Lady Tsunade handed Sakura something and when Sakura looked it was an energy bar and a bottle of water, she quickly downed the water in just a few gulps and ate the bar in a few bites and she quickly felt better.

'I'm guessing you managed your task then? Or was it too difficult?' Lady Tsunade asked.

'No I done it. Just took an extremely long time and a lot of energy. I'm knackered.' Sakura said.

Lady Tsunade led the way back to the same training area. Along the way Sakura was in a happy mood, she was refuelled and she had completed her task, she thought nothing could go wrong today now she felt like this, but she had been proven wrong before and didn't expect the rest of the day to be perfect.

Lady Tsunade first noticed the variety of trees which she had used in her training period.

'Why did you use more than one tree? I thought I said one tree.' She asked Sakura.

Sakura flinched slightly as she remembered what had happened on her first tree and she pointed to the hole she made on it and said, 'I accidentally put too much Chakra in and the wood splintered and cracked.'

She followed her finger and looked at where she was pointing, she stared for a second and finally said, 'It looked like it more than splintered or cracked. It's like you punched a hole through it.' She said with a smile but Sakura didn't see as she had her head hung in shame.

'I-I'm sorry, I don't know what happened.' Sakura stuttered

'I'm not angry. There's no need to be sorry. This is actually a good thing.' Lady Tsunade said.

'How? I broke a tree, how is that going to help me?' Sakura exclaimed.

'The bottom of your feet is the hardest part to get Chakra to and maintain. So if you can gain enough Chakra there to do that then I think you are going to be a very special student of mine. There will be more than just medical ninjutsu I'll be teaching you now, but more on that later. Because you've now mastered this it means you can most likely focus Chakra anywhere in your body and enhance your senses. Kiba uses this to enhance his sense of smell and sound, to be more like a beast. That sort of thing is now possible.'

Sakura cheered up at that, at least she now knew that she hadn't done wrong.

'Now! Show me.' Lady Tsunade commanded.

Sakura quickly gathered her Chakra and ran up the tree. She sat down on a branch near the top and waved down. She saw Lady Tsunade wave back and smile as she said, 'Come back down.'

As she came down it looked like she was impressed with her.

'Well done. This is only your first step to becoming a shinobi but you mastered that quickly. Congrats. You've earned a rest. Ho get something to eat and meet me on my office in about an hour.' Lady Tsunade said mischievously.

Sakura was puzzled as to her expression but did as she wished anyway. She walked off through the trees towards the school slowly. She had the energy to be able to use her Chakra but she was still hungry.

She heard Lady Tsunade reach her quickly behind her. It was like she just randomly appeared.

'Are you only here?' She asked Sakura.

'I'm going as fast as I can.'

'Shinobi are much faster than this. Gather your Chakra at the bottom of your feet and use it to push off from the ground or trees or you can run at fast speeds.'

Sakura tried this and she was quite surprised at how much faster it was. She didn't feel quite brave enough to jump through the trees so she just ran through them.

She was out of breath by the time she reached the school but she felt like she had accomplished something, she could feel it in her bones.

She knew through that training she had managed to gain more Chakra and she was pleased.

She got to the dining hall, grabbed a bottle of water and quickly downed it. As Sakura reached for another, she felt a presence and soon saw a hand overtake hers and grab the bottle she was going for. The hand handed her the bottle and she saw that as she took it that the hand was bandaged and could only belong to one person.

'Lee-kun, what are you doing?' She said without turning around and took the bottle off him.

'Being worried.' He said softly and produced a plate of food from his other hand. He placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and led her to a free table placing the plate on it and pulling up a chair for her.

She politely sat down as he sat down himself.

'What do you mean?' Sakura asked as she slid the plate towards her and picked up a fork.

'You worry about me, so am I not allowed to worry about you?' He replied.

'That's not it.' She said slightly ashamed at making him worry. How could she do that to him? Worrying was in her nature, she always worried about everything, but for Lee, it looked like he's never worried about a thing in his life and she felt guilty for what she'd done.

'I'm sorry.' Sakura said finally after a long silence.

'Don't worry about it.' He said with a smile. 'You're safe and that's all what matters. It's just that you didn't turn up for lunch, I got a little worried because I didn't see you.'

Sakura smiled. She didn't like the fact that he was worried over her, but she couldn't help but feel flattered that he was. Nobody other than her parents and Gaara worried about what happened to her, she thought it was sweet of Lee.

'That's sweet of you, but I was only training you know, nothing went wrong.' Sakura said as she started eating.

'But it could have. I couldn't help but worry.' Lee said as he looked her up and down for signs of damage, but except for dirt he couldn't see anything. He let out the breath he didn't know he had held out of relief. He didn't know why but he did really worry about her, more than his family. It must be because everyone in his family were able to look after themselves but Sakura at the moment was defenceless and she didn't know what to do to help herself, he thought, that must be why.

Sakura blushed slightly when he started looking at her. She felt a little embarrassed by it but she wasn't overly bothered by it.

Once Sakura finished eating and drinking, she looked at the time and noticed it was time to go to meet with Lady Tsunade for the next part of her training. She didn't want to leave Lee, but she knew that she would have to. She sighed deeply.

'What's wrong?' Lee said slightly upset over the fact that Sakura was also upset.

'Hmm. Nothing.' She said as she gathered her rubbish up.

'No really, you can tell me. Has it anything to do with this morning?' Lee asked.

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks when she remembered about how distracted she was because of her dream earlier, with all the work she'd been doing it felt like it was days ago not hours, she felt guilty because she had forgotten about it.

'No, that's all sorted now.' Sakura said forcing a smile on her face.

'I'm glad. You were very distracted this morning. I was going to ask how that went but I didn't want to appear insensitive. I can try and help cheer you up if that will help.' Lee said worriedly.

'No, you're very sweet Lee-kun, not insensitive. It's just I have to go see Lady Tsunade now and I don't exactly want to leave you alone.' Sakura said honestly with a faint blush on her face.

To Sakura's surprise Lee smiled widely and said, 'That's great, I have a meeting with Lady Tsunade right now too.'

Yet again he got up and picked her plate up for her. She got up and quickly followed him.

'You don't have to do that for me Lee-kun. I'm able to do it myself.' Sakura said embarrassed as everyone was watching them. Thinking that they've became a couple. Sakura knew that there was only one person for her and that was Sasuke, Lee was just a very close friend.

'I'm only trying to be helpful to you. Also it's polite, and father doesn't like me being impolite.' Lee said with a smile, which Sakura could tell was fake. She felt a little hurt that he wasn't telling her what was up but she knew she would find out in the future, she didn't know how she just did.

Sakura nodded and they slowly headed to Lady Tsunade's office.

She remembered that Lee was going into the village for supplies. She noticed that he didn't have any bags with him so he must have dropped them off in his dorm.

'Did you get everything you were meant to in the village?' Sakura asked curiously.

'Yeah. Well, almost everything.' Lee replied.

'What did you miss?'

'I didn't miss anything but my tonfa broke and I ordered a new set but they haven't arrived in the shop yet, but other than that I got everything.' Lee said with a smile.

Sakura just smiled and nodded, she had no idea what tonfa were and she didn't want to appear a fool in front of him. She'd find out from Ino later, so she made a mental note to do that later and she then focused on what the next part of her training was going to be.

Sakura knocked on the door when she reached it and heard Lady Tsunade's familiar voice through the wood of the door.

'Ah there you are Sakura, Lee.' She said as they stepped through the door.

She had a small pile of books by her desk and a large pile of scrolls in the corner of the room.

'You may be wondering why all these books are here and these scrolls too. Well I have sorted out your training from those scrolls telling you how to use jutsu's and such into these books. Every week has it's own book. I want you to go through them and learn it all. Practise each bit until its perfect and each Saturday I want you to come here and show me what you can do. That will be your training for the next few months.' Lady Tsunade recited.

Sakura was speechless. She didn't think she'd be able to do this on her own but she trusted her sensei's words and so she nodded wordlessly and looked down at her shoes.

Lee looked to and from Lady Tsunade and Sakura. He felt that it was a little unfair for her to do that. Sakura had basically been thrown in at the deep end expecting to float when she hadn't been taught to swim and with no help. Everybody else had their sensei to start them off on the journey, most of the students were from ninja families and so knew about it already, they'd already had some kind of training and they weren't left alone as she has.

'Lady Tsunade I honestly think Sakura-chan shouldn't be left alone to do her training.' Lee said trying to stand up for Sakura but considering she was a teacher then also trying to be respectful.

'Lee. Is she your student?' Lady Tsunade said calmly but dangerously with a piercing glare.

'N-no.' He stuttered, it was the only time he'd faltered in the time she knew him and Sakura was a little surprised at that.

'Then stand down!' She shouted at him.

'Yes ma'am. May I ask why you've called me here?' He asked.

'As it happens, you're right. I can''t leave Sakura on her own, but I'm not always available, as you should know. I want you to be the one to keep an eye on her. Make sure she stays safe. Help build up her Chakra levels.' Lady Tsunade said.

'I-I want to learn taijutsu too.' Sakura said.

Lady Tsunade looked at her surprised that she had spoke, 'You don't have to.'

'I want to though. If Lee-kun is going to be the one who teaches me, shouldn't I learn his speciality. It makes sense in my eyes. I also want to be the best I can be.' Sakura said a bit more confidently.

Lady Tsunade stayed silent, it wasn't really her place to say anything. It was Sakura's decision after all.

Sakura turned towards Lee. 'Please, teach me, you're the only one who can do it.' Sakura pleaded.

'I don't know, I've never taken on a student before I wouldn't know what to do.' Lee said contemplating what it would be like if she was to be taught by him.

'Lee-kun.' Sakura said, he looked at her and examined her face, 'Please.'

He saw her pleading face and wide eyes, she was practically begging him. 'Fine. I'll do it.' He said with a sigh and a blush rising up his face.

'Thank you.' She said and smiled widely. He could see the appreciation and gratitude in her face and hear it in her voice. He smiled and realised that it was all worth it just for that smile.

'Right, now that's sorted. Take these books to your room, Sakura. Then Lee can you go to the village with her and get some proper training clothes and some weapon supplies and such. Then you may proceed as you wish. I'll see you next Saturday Sakura.' Lady Tsunade said to the both of them, dismissing them with a wave of her wrist.

Before Sakura could move Lee went to her desk and picked up the pile of books which lay there and carried them for her.

What have I let myself in for, he thought as he closed the door behind the both of them.

**Well there's another chapter for another week. Hope it's okay, would like to thank Kyoshira7 and Echo Uchiha for their reviews. Please review if you haven't already, thank you**


	9. Chapter 9:Tracks

**Hey guys, time for an early update because today is infact Kiba's birthday, so happy birthday, have a bone.**

**Now the beginning is just a small filler chapter but most of the stuff later one does actually start to mean something and will play a major role in parts to come so hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Managed to finish chapter 10 last night and I'm proud to say it's my longest chapter yet, I'm so tired but I must persevere until i have next chapter done, then I can take a break. *sigh* off to write some more, ja ne **

Much to Sakura's embarrassment and protests, Lee carried her training books to her dorm. She managed to convince him to wait outside the dorm while she quickly got herself changed and took the books to her room. She decided that she would have a look through them once she was done with her training and other things.

After Sakura's quick trip to her room, the pair were soon in the village and about to start shopping.

Lee explained that the school had a system for the ninja students that the school paid for their supplies. You would hand over your personal swipe card and they'd scan it so the school would have a database of what students were buying and how much of it they have.

This confused Sakura because she was a ninja but she didn't have a swipe card. She asked Lee why.

'Hmm, I don't know. I guess Lady Tsunade is getting it sorted for you now. You'll have to use mine then but I don't think it'll matter much.'

Sakura nodded and checked against a quick list they had made of what she should get.

Kunai pouch

Kunai

Shuriken

Headband

Uniform

The uniform would probably take the longest so they decided to leave them until last.

Firstly they entered the weapon shop. Sakura looked through the shelves at the range of weapons. She noticed the curved blades of short swords and katanas to the sharp tomahawks and huge axes. She was amazed at the craftmanship of them and marvelled over the feel of them.

While Sakura was pining over a small knife with a silver hilt encrusted with small rubies along it, Lee had already reached the section for throwing weapons and was calling over to her. With one last fleeting look she headed over towards him.

'Here is the section we need. Throwing weapons. Kunai are the throwing knives we have. Here's which I'd recommend.'

Lee picked up the smallest of the kunai's and handed it to her. She took it and was surprised to feel that it was just the right length and was really light.

'This is the most basic kunai available. For starters this would be perfect until you get used to the feel of it. Does it feel okay?' He asked her.

'Yeah this is fine.' She said simply still feeling the weight of it. Suddenly she felt something against her thigh and she instinctively flinched away. She looked down to see Lee on his knees with a small pouch in his hands by her knee.

Sakura blushed brightly as he did too.

'I'm very sorry. I-i didn't mean to startle you, i'll let you do it yourself.' He said handing her the pouch.

She took it and buckled it around her thigh, with Lee still knelt, telling her to move it higher or lower until it was the right height. She tested it by putting her hand in it and checking that she could reach it quickly and efficiently.

She noticed that Lee had become very flustered and because of it he became very polite. She found it slightly amusing that she was starting to notice little things like that about him, even though there was still a faint blush from what had happened before.

After they had paid for the pouch and basic kunai and shurikens, the next stop was for her ninja headband.

Once there they asked for a sample to use to find the right size they needed. They moved to a corner of the shop as to not bother other customers and with Lee's formal instruction, she tried the headband in different positions until she finally settled on over the top of her hair, and with using the size guide printed on the sample found she needed a medium sized one.

Sakura was then left to look around the shop at the range of different headbands. She finally settled on a simple blue headband with the Konoha symbol on.

She went to the till and was about to hand over Lee's card when the shopkeeper spoke to her

'It's a bit early for new students isn't it?' She said.

'Not really. It is the beginning of term.' Sakura replied.

She leaned forward and lowered her voice, 'I didn't mean that kind of student.'

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Lee noticing her distress quickly moved through the shop to her side, he then saw who was speaking to her and sighed.

'Is Miss Anko bothering you Sakura-chan?' Lee asked.

Sakura shook her head and handed over the card. Just before they left the person known as Anko spoke again this time to Lee.

'So is she a new one then?' She asked.

Lee looked at Sakura and nodded.

As they headed out she called after them, 'Good luck Sakura.'

'Th-thank you.' She stuttered as the door closed

Once on the street Sakura gave Lee a questioning look. Lee noticed this and instantly knew what she was thinking, how did Anko know about them, and he realised that he had never told her.

Lee sighed, 'The majority of people who live here are graduates from the academy.'

Sakura nodded understanding that he couldn't say anymore in such an open and busy environment but also understanding what ur was implying. It had slightly took Sakura offguard when Anko asked her the question she had but she now fully knew what she was trying to say.

'So the last thing you need to get is a uniform, so should we go do that now?' Lee said snapping Sakura from her daze and back to reality.

'Yeah let's go do that.' She replied and followed him through the village until they reached the cafe they had met in only a few days earlier, but to Sakura it felt like week not days.

'The shop is just there,' He said pointing to the shop just next to the cafe, 'I'll wait in here for you while you get you uniform.' He said with a slight blush.

Sakura realised that he was probably trying to save himself the embarrassment in case something like before happened again.

He handed her his card and went in the shop. Sakura smiled and went into the clothes shop into the warm welcoming arms of another female ninja who helped her choose her uniform.

A little later, Sakura came in the cafe carrying a large bag with the shops logo on and sat down at the table in which Lee was sitting on with two bottles of pop, one being opened and almost completely drunk and another unopened clearly for Sakura.

She sat down and took a drink.

'Get everything you need?' Lee asked.

'Yeah, we can go back to the school after this unless there's something you want.' Sakura replied handing him back his swipe card.

'I was in the village earlier if you remember.' He said with a smile.

Sakura felt foolish and said, 'I forgot.'

Lee finished his pop and said, 'It's okay. Can I see your uniform or not?'

Sakura had a sudden impulse to be a tease and she smiled, 'Noo, you'll have to wait until we train later.'

He smiled with a cheeky grin and looked away slightly.

They finished off their drinks and headed back up to the school. As they were headed towards Sakura's room to drop off her bags, they ran straight onto Ino.

'Hey Sakura, Lee. What you doing here? Been looking everywhere for you but nobody had seen you about.' She said directing it towards Sakura.

'Hey Ino. I'm sorry, I started training with Lady Tsunade this morning, but as I go back for the next bit after lunch she tells me that I have a new teacher, and wait for it, guess who it is?' Sakura said to Ino as they started heading off towards their dorm.

Before Ino could reply, Lee, still standing where they had left him, said 'How about I meet you in the dining hall in a bit for dinner?'

Sakura turned around, looked at him standing there alone, she walked back over to him and said quietly, 'Of course I'll see you there then, Lee-sensei.' She gave him a wink and a wave and wandered off with Ino leaving him there fondly smiling after and contently sighing all the time wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

'Noo way!' Ino exclaimed loudly once they had entered Sakura's room. As they had opened the door to their living room she had told Ino about the news. 'Lee is going to be teaching you, you sure that's a good idea?' She said wirh a scrutinizing look, she didn't like the arrangements and thought it would be better somebody else, anybody but Lee.

'I'm sure.' She replied as she placed the bags on het bed and sat down, Ino taking the chair at her desk.

'I don't know. I mean how are you supposed to learn anything from somebody who can't use Chakra.' Ino said in a funny tone. Sakura didn't like the tone of voice at all but she didn't think it was worth kicking up a fuss over, they had no idea what Lee was like, but she didn't want to lose one of her friends over something like a misunderstanding.

'Either way, whether we think its a good idea or not, Lady Tsunade obviously think so. So I have to do as she says.' Sakura said brushing Ino's comment off.

'That sucks.' She said playing with one of the books Lady Tsunade had given Sakura earlier but not actually reading it, 'So how is he going to teach you without him having Chakra?'

'With those books you have in your hand.' Sakura smiled, 'Lady Tsunade wrote them for me, it contains all the stuff I should know. Lee-kun's only there to make sure I don't do something stupid basically.'

Ino nodded, flicking through one of them looking at the type of jutsus and techniques. She didn't like it one bit, she thought it would have been better if she had taught her, and sad as it was even Naruto would have been better than the choice what was made.

Sakura started unpacking her bags and arranging her stuff in small piles, being careful while handling her kunais and shurikens, she didn't exactly want to hurt herself badly on her first day and didn't particularly want to use them until she knew how.

Once she was all organized, she searched through her books until she found the first one she was to use. She opened it up to find it said first week and underneath that she found it said today's date. As she scanned it she found that, she had pretty much done her training for today.

She sighed deeply. It would mean that she wouldn't be able to train with Lee-kun for a long time and for some reason this disappointed her.

Sakura shook her head trying to get rid of the thought. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and noticed it was around dinner time.

'I'm heading to dinner now are you coming?' She said to Ino, in some way trying to politely tell her to get out of her room.

Luckily Sakura didn't have to repeat herself again as Ino replied, 'Yeah I'm starving let's go.'

Half way to the dining hall she realised that she'd forgot to change into her uniform so she hoped Lee would give her enough time to get herself sorted, but she had worried needlessly as Lee was also just in his normal clothes, the ones as she remembered were the ones she had first met him in. As she walked over to the table he was on near the large group of ninja and the table with two plates of food but only one person there, she noticed that the clothes suited him more so than she had originally thought.

She knew that he had large, but not too large, muscles which was well toned across both his chest and arms and his shirt was tight and clung to his skin making them look more pronounced. Sakura smiled as she looked at her friend. He had very little confidence in himself, as she already knew, and if it helped him she would have to say he was fairly good-looking, it wasn't as if it was a lie because it was true, but she couldn't due to how embarrassing it would be for her if she ever admitted it. Even now she blushed at the thought.

She slowly and calmly sat down near him and smiled. He was curious as to the redness of her face but decided to leave it and smiled as he slid the plate in front of her.

'Hi again. Haven't seen you in a long time.' Sakura said giggling.

Lee grinned widely and replied, 'You're right, We have to catch up sometime.' and they both started laughing. Sakura then proceeded him about Ino's opinion. When she told him, he didn't seem particularly bothered, Sakura on the other hand was fuming but she kept her cool. She was also surprised to see that he was smiling about the it, however she remembered that he was used to that sort of treatment, but that still didn't explain why he had such a goofy grin on his face.

'Hey Lee-kun, what's with the cheesy grin?' Sakura asked out of immense curiosity which was burning within her.

'Nothing much. I was just sort of surprised at how you stood up for me to your best friend. Nobody ever done that for me so I guess I'm grateful to you.' He replied sincerely with the hint of a sad smile.

Sakura stared at him intently while he spoke and when he was finished, she sweetly smiled as she placed a hand on his arm briefly for reassurance and said, 'Of course I'd stick up for you, I mean you are my friend too, after all. She isn't my only friend here.' She leant forward slightly so her arm brushed against his and said in a whisper, 'Also, between me and you, you are much more honest and kinder. The way Ino and everyone else treats you, its just mean and I don't agree with it.' She then started eating while aimlessly looking around the dining hall, trying to avoid Lee's shocked smouldering eyes.

While she was trying to avoid eye contact, she seen that she had a perfect view of entrance and as Lee dismissed what she had said and went back to eating the food he had, she seen Sasuke Uchiha walk through the door. Sasuke, the most loved person in this room, no, the whole school, had entered the room and most girls eyes followed him creepily as he walked by to reach his usual table, Sakura's included.

Sakura watched each and every movement he made. The way he walked and the way his hair swished at each high and low in each of his steps. She was captivated by everything about him and as she saw around her so was all the other girls around. She started getting very jealous of them, they were prettier and more popular than she was and so she didn't stand a chance with him and this hurt her more than even leaving Gaara behind in Suna, which she was amazed at because it was the hardest thing she's had to do yet.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw that Sasuke was walking towards her but she was soon put to disappointment as he sat down on his own hardly surrounded by anyone but he was soon joined by Naruto as he bounded over to sit with him, however Sasuke seemed to find this more of annoyance as to the frown he pulled. Seeing this also made Sakura annoyed with Naruto.

She suddenly felt a hand placed on her shoulder which made her flinch and was pulled back into reality and to her it felt like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar and so she blushed.

'I'm sorry did I scare you?' Lee asked sadly thinking that he shouldn't have done that.

Sakura quickly shook her head, 'No, it's okay, I was...' Her speech hanging on the last word as her eyes flicked towards Sasuke and quickly back again, 'I was in a world of my own.' She answered as honestly and vaguely as possible.

'Glad to hear it,' He said sighing with relief, 'Are you ready to get going?'

Sakura stared at him for a moment before she realised that he was asking a question, God, Sasuke-kun really plays on my mind, she thought slightly annoyed but also in fondness of the guy she knew nothing about, for who she wanted to find out about.

'Y-yeah, let's go.' She replied slightly flustered.

They got up and started walking towards the exit when she had gained a wild impulse.

'Bye Sasuke-kun.' She said as she passed his table but as she had expected she got no reply and no sign of response from him, but it made her feel better trying to talk to him even if nothing worked. By doing this it had earned her many glares giving a whole new meaning to the term 'if looks could kill' up until she exited the room.

Lee, being totally oblivious to the ruckus she had caused, was already out the door and almost out of sight as Sakura pranced up to him.

'How about I meet you back at my usual training grounds and we can start with your training.' Lee said. By now they had reached Sakura's dorm entrance and his was only just down the hall.

'Right. Okay. I won't be long. See you there then.' Sakura said opening the door.

She had almost had the door closed when she heard Lee speak and it was wide open again in a flash. 'Quick question. Is there anything Lady Tsunade wants you to do this week?' He asked, trying to come up with a new training regime.

Sakura thought back to when she had looked in her book before and slowly shook her head, 'No, it just said to have done what I have, practice it and I guess to build up my stamina too would a good idea.' She replied.

Lee thought for a moment and mischievously grinned, 'Okay, I know just what to do then.' Sakura looked at him and wondered what she had let herself in for when she saw that smile and started to worry slightly.

'Erm, oh okay then, see you there.' She said slightly scared of the grin on his face and hurriedly retreated into her room to take another step into her journey to becoming a ninja now having someone to take that step with.

Sakura arrived at the designated area and shocked to see that Lee was not there. She waited for a few minutes and still nothing. She was starting to get slightly worried, it wasn't like Lee to be late for anything, he was always unusually early. Then a thought popped into her head, maybe he was caught up in something and can't come just yet, yeah, that must be it, she thought.

So while waiting for him, she decided to start with practising to gather her newly replenished Chakra and try walking up some nearby trees. She soon got bored of this and then started whistling happily to herself. Okay there was something wrong and she knew it, but as she thought that she saw a figure in the distance, someone...limping?

Sakura being too impatient she quickly gathered Chakra in her eyes to increase her level of sight in the dim light, and saw that it was in fact Lee slowly stumbling towards her while holding his side as if in pain, as if struggling to keep himself together. Sakura, having realised it was him looked at him horrified at the sight of him hurt and ran towards him to meet him halfway.

After hearing her call his name he composed himself with the greatest of difficulty and forced a smile on his face, which however much he tried to hide it was a pained smile caused by the sudden stabbing pain shooting down his side which was no longer held together by his hands.

'Lee-kun, what happened to you?' Sakura exclaimed with a slight tremble in her voice. She was also breathless once she'd reached him from the running to get to him, even though it was only a relatively short distance.

'I'm fine Sakura-chan, no need to worry.' Lee said still with the smile.

'No you're not Lee-kun, don't lie, we need to take you to get fixed up.' Sakura said disagreeing with his judgement.

'I SAID I'M FINE!' Lee shouted furiously at her. The smile dropped from his face and he collapsed to the ground in pain but never once did he scream in pain, he couldn't.

Sakura cringed away from him and stared at him in disbelief. She never thought that he had ever shouted in his life or he ever would, and if he ever did, she never would have thought he would shout at her the way he did. To her it sounded full of hate and with seeing his expression before he fell down only added to this feeling. It was seething full of hate, anger and emotion.

Sakura hated this side of Lee and she knew it, she only hoped that it was a one-off, and he would be fine soon. She had to fight back tears at the horrible state he was in, and that wasn't with the shouting added on top, she felt terrible. Then she felt fury but kept it pent up. She didn't want another outburst like then.

She waited until Lee stood up again before she was going to say anything, but Lee cut across her harshly, 'Go start running around the track, I need a sit down.' Sakura looked him up and down and saw that he wasn't in uniform, good she thought, I don't have to force him to take a rest he's doing it himself.

'What are you waiting for?' Lee said starting to regain his composure but he still had a little rough edge to his voice.

'I, errr, nothing.' Sakura said still staring at him shocked.

'Well. Go.' He said irritated, as if trying to push her away but she wasn't going.

She finally nodded her head in defeat and started at a light job around the track to warm up.

As he sat down on the bench on the outskirts of the track, the stabbing pain went shooting up through his whole body causing a soundless gasp escape from his lips, but the way he was feeling now was much worse than the physical pain. He just shouted at Sakura, for no reason at all, all because he knew that he would spill the truth to her and only her if she kept pressing him, and he just couldn't do that, he can't.

He watched her jog around slowly for a while swimming in his own guilt, pain slowly subsiding until it only stung when moved. During that time he realised that if nothing else now Sakura needed him for her training. She already probably hated him for what he had done, he'd already failed there friendship, but he wasn't going to fail her with this too.

He slowly pushed himself up, his side flaring up again but only mildly, as if it was at least a day old, then subsiding as he dealt with it. He slowly walked towards with her as little motion as possible.

Sakura being lost in her own little world never noticed him come towards her and she became shocked as he was suddenly there.

'You need to go quicker than that if you want to benefit from this training.' He said with his usual smile, this time being a true smile, and his joking tone.

This earned him a long cautious look from her as she sped up a bit more and left him standing beside where she was. The look which he had earned hurt him inside more than he thought it would, he truly believed that she hated him now, and he hated the thought of being alone again. But he knew that whatever came his way now, he deserved it, and he was going to take it all on with a brave face, no aggression whatsoever, and that, he felt, was his punishment. He knew that he had been so selfish as to not let her go because she accepted him but now all he felt was guilt. Feeling like he wanted to cry for the first time in a long time, he turned away and rapidly blinked to keep the tears in his eyes and not out. He felt terrible, like everything bad happened at once.

Soon enough he could see that Sakura was slowing her pace tremendously. It takes a great deal of stamina to be able to run for a long period of time. When he checked the time he seen quickly that it had been over an hour, almost two. He quickly felt guilty about the fact that he had pushed her for so long, that he wallowed in self-pity for that long.

'Hey!' He shouted over, she looked up at the shout and stopped, 'How about a rest?'

Sakura walked over to him and avoided eye contact, and was breathing heavily but not wheezing. Lee smiled because he knew that his training methods actually did something and soon enough she would be fit enough to start her taijutsu training. However because she wasn't looking at him she never saw this smile.

Even if she did hate him he had to ask her something, 'Are you okay? Is there something up?' By judging the reaction he'd be able to tell where they stand, hopefully.

She finally looked at him and confusion ran across her face. 'Yeah, I'm fine, but the same can't be said for you.' Her eyes quickly flicking down and back up to his smiling face.

'I' He started, he didn't know how to put how he felt into words but he knew he had to try to save their friendship. 'I didn't mean it before, I'm sorry I shouldn't have shouted at you.' He said awkwardly, he had never actually apologised properly and meaningfully to a person before and he felt uncomfortable, he wondered if this is how everyone else felt. 'Can you forgive me?'

Sakura stared at him for a second and broke into a wide grin. 'Of course I can forgive you, question is, can you forgive yourself?'

'No, I know I'll never forgive myself for it.' He said.

'Then it's a good job I do forgive you. I know how things can get frustrating and you just wanna scream, I'm sorry for pushing you.' Sakura said sweetly

'Yeah, but. That's no excuse for how I went about it. You don't need to be sorry at all, that would be me.'

Sakura smiled and shook her head she knew there was no way that she was going to win this argument.

'So is are you willing to talk about it now?' Sakura prompted.

Lee sighed, shook his head and just said, 'No. It's nothing, don't worry about it.'

Sakura slowly walked closer to him blushing slightly, his heart strangely beating faster and faster. He felt strangely content even with the uncomfortable feeling he had. He was confused, he had no idea what was happening to him but as long as he was here with her, anything could happen to him and he probably wouldn't realise it.

Once she reached him, Lee gulped loudly and turned red. The suddenly he saw stars in his eyes as he collapsed on the ground in a fetal position. He couldn't even move. All he could do was scream.

As she walked to him she knew it was a bad idea but she needed to get him to admit it to himself that he wasn't okay. As much as he ignored it before she came to this school she wasn't going to let him do it now.

She looked at him each step of the way blushing at the thought of being so close and of what she was going to do. She looked in his warm eyes as if she could see inside his soul which was just as unreadable as he was. It was in this moment that she knew that she wanted to get to know him, but for her it was as only as a friend, nothing else.

Sakura quickly but silently touched his wounded side, almost like she was stroking it as to not badly hurt him but enough for him to see sense.

When he dropped on all fours and cried out in pain she instantly regretted it. She fell beside him and sobbed.

'I-I-I-I'm so-sorry Lee-k-kun b-but you n-needed t-to s-see that y-you aren't a-a-a-al-alright.' She cried into her hands.

It took a while but he soon recovered and managed to sit up slowly and he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw only kindness in his face, even after what she had just done, he was willing to forgive and forget. It made her cry more, tears glistened on her cheeks and the corner of her eyes. Lee pulled her closer to as much of a hug as he could manage, letting her carry on crying until there were only hiccups left.

He heard a slight whisper leave her lips but it was illegible.

'Hmm?' He muttered leaning away letting her breath in deeply.

'I'm such a terrible person, I'm so so so so sorry. I'll never do it again. I'm horrible, you should just leave me alone.' She murmured.

'But Sakura-chan, I can't leave you. You were the only person who ever truly accepted me, now I know what it's like I can't just turn my back on you. You're the nicest person I've ever met and don't you think otherwise.' He said wiping away any stray tears from her face.

'I hurt you though, nice people don't do that.' She replied.

'You did it out of worry. I tried to make everything seem alright when it wasn't I shouldn't have tried to do that. I know you worry too much anyway.' He smiled.

Knowing that he was okay with it, she smiled too, albeit a sad one.

'C-can I see it?' She asked cautiously.

He sighed knowing there was no way out of it and he slowly and carefully lifted his top half-way up his body to reveal a huge black bruise about the size of a fist.

**Thank you for the reviews and hope you review if you already haven't**


	10. Chapter 10:Bruise

**Now this chapter is my favourite so far, yes i seem to put my characters through a lot of crap. I hope i did well with this chapter but without more talking, here's the next chapter.**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

Lee sighed knowing there was no way out of it and he slowly and carefully lifted his top half-way up his body to reveal a huge black bruise about the size of a fist.

Sakura couldn't help but let out a sob as she looked at it. How could this happen to him? He had better reflexes than anyone she knew, so why would he let this happen to him?

'L-lee-kun? Who did this to you?' She asked worried about his safety.

He quickly pulled down his top and quickly stood up and said flustered 'I-i can not tell you that. It would do no good.'

'How won't it do any good. It will let me be able to help you and we could get this sorted and you won't be hurt anymore.' Sakura said jumped up pleading with him to reconsider.

He looked at her pleading face and quickly looked away in pain. He knew he couldn't tell her and keeping her in the dark about this was killing him from inside. He couldn't describe how much he wanted to tell her everything but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't betray him, not that he couldn't, he just didn't want to. It would cause more problems than solve them.

He smiled at her and said cheerily 'Sakura-chan, there's no need to worry. I'm used to this. This is tame, compared to usual.'

Sakura didn't want to make him angry again, but she needed to know. She felt very protective of him, like a brother she never had, almost as much as she did about Gaara.

'But.. Lee-kun?' She questioned.

'Look. Sakura. I'm fine okay.' He said a bit agitated, he wanted to end the conversation there but she obviously didn't, he could tell that just from the look he was given, but the words which came out of her mouth shocked him.

'If you say so Lee-kun.' She sighed sadly. She felt sad because he didn't feel like he could trust her, and she knew it, but for some reason she couldn't explain the sudden pain in her heart. She didn't even register the fact that he had just called her by her name. She wanted to know more, but she knew if she pushed him too far then he would snap at her again and she didn't want that. The topic must be fairly close to him if he got this worked up over it.

Lee just stared blankly at her. He didn't think she would stop there, he thought that she would keep pushing. He couldn't say he wasn't glad that she did what she did, but deep down he felt like he needed her to push until he told her the truth. He hid this way deep down because he wasn't going to betray him no matter how much he knew needed to. He was fighting an internal battle between his heart and his head and at this present moment in time his heart was winning.

He sighed deeply before speaking, 'I wish I could tell you. You have no idea how happy I am because you are worrying about me, I'm so happy. I thank you for your concern.' He said with a bow. As he did, Sakura saw tears tracks on his face. This made her feel worse, she had made him cry and she felt like joining him at the time.

'You have to make things more difficult on yourself to help others and I admire that, I just wish you would open up a bit more. Stop being so secretive about everything.' Sakura said keeping her voice steady.

Lee lifted up and smiled at her through his tears, which were shown to be happy tears. 'I shall be more truthful, but this is the exception I hope you realise.'

Sakura lightened up a little when she saw the wasn't sad but pouted when he still wouldn't tell her.

They stood fairly close and when Lee saw this irresistible pout he couldn't help but reach over and ruffle her pink hair. 'Don't be in a mood with me. I'm just doing you a favour here.'

She stopped pouting and looked at him confused as she pushed his hand off and started smoothing out her hair again, 'What do you mean Lee-kun? Doing me a favour, how?'

He smiled sweetly and said, 'You're better off not knowing, how this happened.'

At that moment Gai-sensei came around the corner and saw the two of them. Both of them unexplainably blushed and looked away, as if being caught doing something they shouldn't, but they knew it was perfectly normal to just talk. Gai-sensei was none the wiser of the atmosphere surrounding them and was concerned about Lee.

'Why aren't you training Lee?' He asked directly, 'You never normally stop until it gets very late and you aren't even in your uniform.'

Lee's eyes dangerously flashed at Sakura with one meaning, just keep quiet and don't say a word, and then quickly looked back at his father.

'After dinner I felt a little bit sick, but it didn't get any better. I figured I'd skip training today and then do double tomorrow to make up for it.' Lee said as honestly as he could. He knew he couldn't slip up here, he didn't like lying to his father but that's all he could do in this situation.

'Are you okay?' Gai-sensei asked, totally ignoring Sakura's presence briefly.

'I'm better now but I could do with a rest first.' He replied honestly, because he really could do with a lie down.

'I'll walk with you there then, make sure you're okay.' He said leading Lee away.

Sakura stood there gob-smacked. She couldn't believe that Lee could lie with a straight face at all let alone to his own father.

'I'll see you later Sakura-chan, I'll be okay.' He said as he started walking away, he then looked over his shoulder and with a cheeky grin and his trademark thumbs-up he added, 'and maybe you should take a shower, trust me, you'll feel better.'

Before she could think of a retort he was gone and she was left standing in the glade staring at the spot where he had disappeared.

She shook her head and started off in the other direction heading to the showers in her dorm.

The shower was very much needed after that training session, if you call it that, all she done was run for about an hour but muscles she never she had were burning. The hot water of the shower released these tensed muscles and she felt much more relaxed. Okay, maybe Lee does know what he's going on about some of the time, she thought absent-mindedly. She started getting changed into a pair of clothes

I wonder what's happened to make Lee not talk about it, she thought, could Lee maybe be afraid of this person. She couldn't help but think that it would be better if she told someone but every time she thought about it she was overcome with guilt. Lee had specifically asked her not to mention it at all, but she couldn't let her friend get hurt. She was going around in circles and it wasn't good for her. She tried to leave it and sleep on it instead. Maybe she would come up with an answer through the night, it was getting late after all, but instead it was all she could think about. She needed someone to talk to but she knew that she couldn't talk to anybody here, she daren't.

She almost kicked herself when she realised there was at least one person she could talk to without any problems, Gaara. It wasn't even anything to do with her but she felt so strongly about it, she didn't want her friend to be hurt anymore. If there were any time she needed Gaara, then it would be now, so she grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts and dialled his number. She only hoped that he wouldn't have his phone on silent right now.

Almost immediately he answered, 'Hello?'

'Gaara, I'm so glad you answered.' Sakura rushed, he was lucky he had heard what she had said.

'Sakura? What's wrong?' He asked slowly, hopefully to calm her down and to stop her from panicking.

'One of my friends may be in danger, and I don't know what to do.' She sobbed, this was obviously tearing herself apart on the inside, more than she had originally realised.

'Okay.' He whispered softly barely able for her to hear but since she was around him too long she knew what to look for, 'Take a deep breath and start from the beginning.'

She took a deep breath and was about to start telling him the story but she realised, she couldn't exactly tell him everything. She couldn't tell him her secret, as much as she may want to.

'Well. I was going to meet with Lee-kun earlier to do some one-to-one tutoring for school because I really need it. I got there early and made a start but when he did show up, he was limping as if he'd been attacked. Strange thing is that he's quite strong and really good at martial arts, yet he didn't defend himself or stop it from happening. He got really angry at me and was really quiet while I done my work, yet once I'd finished he had cheered up. I was a bit mean to him but it forced him to show me this huge bruise and well he clammed up again. I didn't push for more but now I'm really worried about him. He kept saying that this regularly happened and that what he had endured was tame.' She said emitting anything to do with ninjas, yes she was still technically being tutored, so she wasn't exactly lying.

'Hmmmm.' He replied. He genuinely wanted to help Sakura and her friend, Lee, but he didn't know anyway to do so. He had trouble calming Sakura down when she got worked up over things like this, so could he really help with a big problem like this? 'Shouldn't you go to a teacher or a family member or something and tell them this?' He asked.

'That's what I say but Lee-kun won't let me, he made me promise to keep quiet. He isn't going to tell anyone. I just found out by chance. Is it really that serious that I should say something even if I promised not to?' She said sadly, wiping her eyes from the dried tears.

'I think this is something that you need to work out for yourself. All I know is that he needs somebody right now and considering you know his problem, then it should obviously be you at his side right now, not mine.' Gaara said sadly

Sakura was about to ask what he meant when he cut across her, 'Well what are you waiting for, get going?' He said in a joking commanding tone.

This made her smile and she said 'Yes sir!'

'That's a good girl. Talk to you soon?' He asked anxiously.

'Of course, speak to you soon.' She replied and ended the call.

'He was right, as always. Lee-kun needs me and I'm just worrying about what would happen to him, not how he's feeling right now. That was selfish of me.' She said out loud to herself and put her head in her hands, she felt rotten. She flinched when she felt something wet on her hand but then she realised that she hadn't dried her hair. She had no time to get it dry properly so she put a white towel on her head to dry her hair as she went. Once she closed her door, she saw Ino turn the corner to get to her dorm.

'You going somewhere?' She asked as she opened her door.

'Yeah I have something to do before I go to bed.' She replied walking past her.

'Okay, well everyone's asleep so try not to be too loud, and don't be too late coming back, we have school in the morning.' Ino said smiling.

Sakura giggled a little, 'What are you, my mum?' She asked, 'Don't worry I won't be long. Night.'

Sakura left without another word and she bounced down the stairs. She opened the door quietly, only to hear a commotion just down the hall. She was surprised that it didn't wake anybody up but then she remembered that the walls were soundproofed, for obvious reasons. She felt bad for eavesdropping but she didn't want to disturb the argument occurring outside, so she stayed with the door opening until there came a time when it had calmed down.

So because there was nothing else to do, she waited and listened.

She could tell there was two people, mainly because the one who spoke was obviously directing his anger onto someone and she knew there had to be someone to take it.

'Why? Why are you doing this to me?' One voice questioned, she didn't recognise the voice but it was full of anger and hate even though he was speaking fairly quietly for now. The other never spoke, she could see the other looking down at their feet trying to avoid confrontation even though it was on their doorstep.

'Well. Say something!' He shouted the last bit, he didn't care if there were anybody around to hear him.

'Ohhh. I see now.' He said with a sadistic tone, 'You think that nothing's going to happen if you stay quiet, eh? Well you're wrong there.'

There was a small silence as if letting the words sink in.

Out of the blue the man shouted something and it made Sakura jump but she managed to stop herself from gasping, 'Who are you and why do you look like me?' He man shouted with malice.

Next came a loud crack which rung out through the corridor and then a bang as something fell to the floor.

Sakura had enough. She wasn't going to let this carry on, it was bordering on assault, actually it was.

She quickly wrenched the door open and ran down the hall to where they were and saw that there was a tall looming figure standing above another with a look on his face to kill and the other on the floor holding his arm out to try and stop his attacker while using the other to lean up.

It wasn't until she had got between them that she noticed who the attacker was. It was Gai-sensei, though as she had never seen him before. His face contorted into one of rage, directed not at her but at the person behind her. She was scared to look behind her in case of the person she saw was who she dreaded it being.

'S-sakura...chan.' She heard from behind.

'Stop it! Stop hurting him. Why are doing this to your own son?' She asked him urgently. She just couldn't believe that Gai-sensei would do this. So this is why he won't say a word to anyone about it.

'And who are you? Why do you say he's my son? I don't have any children.' He asked both curiously and angrily.

It was Sakura's turn to start looking odd. Has he forgotten me? Why does he say he doesn't have a son? He's almost always bragging about it.

'I'm Sakura. One of your students.'

'But I'm no teacher.' He said

His eyes narrowed and she could see the hate in those eyes. Its scared her.

'I don't know who you are or what you're trying to do to me but it isn't going to work.' He shouted at her spraying her with spit as he did. All she saw was his arm going backwards and then she suddenly felt the warmness of something green in front of her and the sound of a muffled sound of two arms colliding. She had to steady herself against the back because of the speed everything occurred at.

'Not her.' He pleaded, 'This has nothing to do with her, so leave her out of it. You can hit me all you want but lay a finger on her and you've had it.' He growled at the end.

She would never had recognised that her saviour was Lee if she hadn't saw his face. He was in immense pain through his father's beatings, yet he put it all aside for her. She strangely touched by this. She didn't want him to fall out with his dad for her but it seemed like this was what he wanted to do.

His arm gave a shove and pushed away his father's arm. The collision must have been because Lee blocked the slap. She was amazed at the fact of how he managed to get up and protect her so quickly. He threw his arms outwards making sure Sakura was safely behind him and so he could protect her if he tried something again. She took a step back to give Lee some space when she hit an object on the floor. All she knew was it was heavy because her foot couldn't move it, but she didn't dare look and kept all her attention on Gai-sensei.

In all the confusion she never noticed that the towel which was neatly perched on her head had came loose and was now on the floor, allowing the flaming pink hair to flop down.

'Heh! Saving your girlfriend?' Gai-sensei laughed nastily and looked at her once again. When he did, the laughter died on his lips and his face blanched. He'd looked like he'd seen a ghost. Sakura could see sweat dripping from his brow which wasn't there before onto a puddle on the floor. He was really panicking about something but Sakura didn't know what.

'A-are you alright? Gai-sensei?' Sakura said taking a step forward and around Lee's arm, to his protest.

'S-stay back. Don't come any closer.' He stuttered as he fell backwards and landed in a heap on the floor. He quickly scrambled to his feet away from her and ran around the corner out of sight.

Sakura stood there with a hand reached out to where he was while she stared confused at what had just happened.

Behind her Lee suddenly spoke which made Sakura jump and turn around, 'He won't be back for a while.' He said sadly looking ahead of him and then turning to Sakura and smiling. 'Are you okay?' He asked concerned.

Sakura just stared at his expression and was instantly attracted to the red mark on his face and cut from his father's slap. Her eyes narrowed and she simply replied, 'I think, you have some explaining to do.' She folded her arms in front of her as if to convey that she was not going to move until she found out the truth.

Lee sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes and said, 'Yeah you're right. But not here, how about my dorm? And I'll explain everything.'

Sakura blushed slightly and nodded. It would be slightly embarrassing to be in his dorm but even worse if she were caught by his room-mates there, she knew they would make fun at her expense, if she knew who they were. She only hoped he didn't live with Neji because he always made of fun of Lee and her.

Lee winced slightly as he picked up the objects she had almost tripped over before and Sakura picked the towel up. They seemed like small blocks of metal and wood attached to a strip of material, she was curious as to what it was.

'What are they?' She asked touching it.

'They're weights, for training.' He said matter-of-factly.

'How heavy are they?'

'Do you want to see for yourself?' He asked with the hint of a joke in his voice.

'Go on then.' He chose one and placed it on her hand without letting go, even though he never let go but still let her hold it, it caused her hand to fly down.

'Ow!' She said, 'That's heavy. How do you do it?' She asked.

He placed one in each of his leg-warmers which he always wore under his normal clothes and uniform. She thought it was weird that he always wore them, but now she realised that it had it's purpose. She smiled and said, 'Now I see how you were so fast before. Taking all that weight off must be a blessing.'

'You get used to it after a while.'

Sakura quickly finished drying her hair and wrapped the towel up under the arm.

'Would I be able to do that?'

'Eh?' Lee asked confused he didn't exactly know what she meant by that.

'Weights. Would I be able to have weights myself?' She asked

'We'll get you sorted after I've explained myself. Okay?' Lee said leading the way to his dorm.

They soon reached it when he opened the door to the dorm next door to hers. He popped his head in listening for any sounds of people up and about. He heard none and pushed the door open fully and led Sakura in before silently closing it behind him. He stalked up the stairs and before turning the corner to go to the bedrooms, he stuck his head round the corner once again and saw no light from under the occupied rooms, he waved Sakura up the stairs and he opened the door at the far end.

After Sakura entered he closed the door and picked up a pair of pyjamas off his bed and told her to wait while he got himself changed.

His room was a forest green colour while he had burgundy bed-sheets. There were hardly any personal belongings, in his room, just his desk with school work neatly piled on there and his dresser and drawers containing his clothes. She didn't venture towards these since it would have been rude to look. She noticed two metal bars hanging from the ceiling about a body length apart and a fairly large open-top wooden box along one wall. She was curious as to what these were for but she had other things to worry about.

That moment Lee came out of the bathroom wearing a dark green t-shirt and a pair of black jogging pants and sat down on the chair from the desk.

'May I be excused for a moment?' She asked, she soon realised that this could be a long conversation and she didn't want to have to excuse herself in the middle of it.

He nodded and she got up and went into the bathroom. Before she came back out she saw there was a small first aid kit behind the door. She didn't know much but she knew he was a martyr and he wouldn't have done anything to tend to his wounds at all, so it was left to her. She picked it up and left the room.

Lee looked at her holding the first aid kit and was confused. What does she want that for? He thought.

Sakura noticed the confused look and sighed, 'It's for you. You need to tend to your wounds. I mean you've got a cut on your face and it could become infected.'

Lee was about to protest but she cut across him, 'Just shut up and deal with it. Let me handle it. Then we can talk'

She put the case on the bed and opened it up, she found a bottle which said antiseptic and she had also picked up some cotton wool before she came out. She opened the bottle and put the cotton wool at the end and upturned the bottle, so the liquid was soaking into the material. She turned it back round and placed in on the desk. Lee sat quietly on the chair and turned his head so the hurt cheek was closest to her.

'This may sting a bit, but it needs to be done.' She said before she gently dabbed at the cut. She heard the small gasps which came from Lee when she did, but to make sure it was completely clean she had to keep going, no matter how guilty she may feel. As she reached the end, the frequency of stifled gasps from Lee decreased.

She put the cotton wool down and Lee started to get out the chair, but a firm hand stopped him. He could have fought against it but he just didn't have the strength anymore.

'What makes you think we're finished there?' Sakura said smiling at him.

Lee smiled even though it stung slightly. He saw Sakura turn back to the case and saw her picking up a plaster. She ripped the packet open and applied it to his face.

'How about now?' He asked.

'Not yet. Lean forward.' Sakura commanded. All he think in his mind was 'yes ma'am' but he didn't voice it, he just did as he was told.

She picked up a long roll of a bandage and said, 'I'm sure you know what this is. I'm going to bandage up your side to give it a bit of support, okay?' Lee nodded.

She knelt beside the chair with a faint blush, she lifted up his top to reveal not only his bruise but to show his well-toned muscular chest.

'This may hurt but please bear with it okay?'

She started wrapping the bandage around the area above the wound to create a starting point for her. She kept wrapping and wrapping his stomach up firmly but not too tight as to stop circulation. Once she had covered the wound she reached for a safety pin and clipped the bandage into place. She slowly tugged on his top until it was smooth again.

'Is that okay? Or is it too tight?' She asked him.

'It's as good as new. Thank you.' He said, eyes tearing up.

'What's wrong?' She asked as she wiped away a tear which had fell.

'Nobody's ever done something like this for me. Thank you Sakura-chan.' He repeater, wiping his eyes.

'You don't have to thank me. It's the least I could do. You saved me from your father, I should be saying thanks here.' She said.

'That man wasn't my dad.' He said slightly bluntly. She could tell that this bothered him even if he didn't show it.

'I-i don't know what you mean.' She said confused, 'That was Gai-sensei and he is your dad. You told me that yourself.'

'Yes Gai-sensei is my dad. But that man may look like him, well it is him, but that wasn't my father.' He said sadly.

'Maybe you should start explaining.' She said and sat on the bed, getting herself comfy for a long conversation.

'Well I guess the beginning is the best place to start. It all started two years ago when I first came to this school.' Lee said reminiscent.

'I was so pleased to have finally came here, my family was proud of me, well as proud as they could be, and I was finally settling in when...'

~Start of Flashback~

Lee was spending some quality time with his dad, starting out on the first steps of his ninja training. He couldn't wait. Even though they had found out early that he couldn't use his Chakra, his father still persisted and was going to teach him all he knew of taijutsu.

At first he was a clumsy student and didn't get things right all the time but he was very enthusiastic all the same, and at times he was admired for that, even if he was shunned by his fellow students for his 'disability'.

Today was just a normal day, sun was shining and the air was fresh as it had rained recently and was heavily laden with the scent of pine trees around them. It was warm and dry so Lee and his father were taking a break to have a drink before carrying on with their intense training.

'Lee?' Gai-sensei called his son's name

'Yes father?' He replied innocently. Lee was dressed very similarly to his father, in the same green jumpsuit, red headband around his waist and orange leg-warmers. The only difference being that Lee wore bandages around his forearms and hands. Their jet black hair were both cut into the same shiny bowl-cut and both blew in the gentle wind which carried the pine smell.

'I've been meaning to give you something, a present to help in your training.' Gai-sensei said slightly embarrassed.

Lee's face lit up. 'What is it?' He asked happily.

'Well. Taijutsu is the main branch of ninja abilities passed down through each of the male generation of this family. We have a unique technique to help us become stronger and faster than our opponents. We use weights to make us faster and stronger.' Gai-sensei reached into his pocket and took out a pair of light weights which were attached to a tattered piece of material, holding them all together.

'They were my father's and his father's before him, and now they're yours. Cherish them and pass them down to your kids when they become ready. When they become too light get new one's and keep these for memories.' He said as he handed them over.

Lee felt they were really heavy but he managed to keep a hold of them. 'Thank you.' He said overjoyed with tears welling up in the corner of his eyes, threatening to leak out if he didn't control himself, which he didn't. He reached over and pulled his father into a hug so he could let his tears out without his father knowing, but of course he knew when he could feel small wet patches form around his chest area.

Lee pulled away in his own time and tied the weights around his leg which he covered up with his leg-warmers. 'How do I look?' he asked.

'It's like looking through a mirror of me when I were your age.' Gai-sensei said smiling widely.

He stood there for a second and he then he felt a sudden headache. It was excruciatingly painful, but as he tried to push through the pain, his face fell on one side. He could no longer smile at the son, who he loved and wanted to show his pride for. He tried to put his hands on his sons shoulders but he could no longer lift his arms higher than an inch.

He started getting scared, he had no idea what was happening. His legs gave way and he was suddenly on the floor. His eyes rapidly switching sides as he saw himself fall, it was a strange experience, as much as he panicked he was in a state of euphoria, as if separated from his body but he knew he was still inside it.

'Father.' Lee said rushing to his side.

'Le-reeee...hel..eeeee.' He managed to wheeze out. He tried to say 'Lee, help me' but to Lee's ears it came out as a slur, to his own, he didn't even understand the words he spoke.

The last thing he could see was his sons rapidly moving mouth as he tried to speak to him before darkness overcame him and he fell unconscious.

~End of Flashback~

'That day was both the happiest and saddest of my life.' He had his face in his hands at this point. Not to cry but because he was worn out from the day and his wound wouldn't help.

Sakura contemplated this before questioning something, 'What happened to you father? You know when he collapsed and passed out.' She didn't exactly want to appear insensitive but it did seem a bit of a stupid point to end the story.

Lee smiled at her, 'Later on, I checked the symptoms and I found he had a stroke that day.'

'A stroke?' She repeated.

'Yes, it's when there is a blockage or a haemorrhage in the brain.' Lee informed her.

She fought the urge to facepalm, 'I know what a stroke is, but it's more the fact of how quickly it happened.' She said leaning forward to put her elbows on and lean on her knees while supporting her head on her hands.

'Yes. It was very fast. I didn't know what to do and I panicked.'

'So how does your dad beating you senseless come into this story?' She asked slightly angry by just the thought of it.

'Well that's the next bit, I need to tell you.' He said, and then launched into the next part of his story.

~Start of Flashback~

Lee sat there holding his father's head on his lap. He didn't know what to do, he was starting to be come hysterical. All he saw was his father fall to the floor and black out. He stood up and was about to go get help when he felt a firm grip around his leg. He screamed out in shock and fell on the floor. When he looked up he saw his father already in a sitting position, rubbing his temples to try and soothe his raging headache.

'Fa-father.' he stuttered, 'You're okay? I'm so pleased.' He crawled over and gave his father a tight hug.

The man in his embrace tensed up immediately, it was almost like he didn't know that Lee was there until the started crying uncontrollably.

'Father?' He repeated vacantly. He struggled to remember anything, before he passed out. All he could remember was him standing with a young boy who looked exactly like him. His eyes narrowed, this must be the boy. 'He must have stole my appearance. How dare he!' He thought infuriated.

He pushed the boy away to get a good look at him. 'He does look exactly like,' He thought, 'Even the eyes and the eyebrows are the same.'

'Who are you?' He asked trying to keep his sudden anger under control.

'Father? It's me, Lee, your son.' He said dazed by his question, and also his tone of voice. He had never heard a growl like he did when he said the word 'son' from his father ever and it terrified him.

'I have no son.' He said adamantly.

Tears welled up in the young boys eyes again, and yet again it angered him, he felt a sudden sadistic streak run through his body, he wanted to hurt him, badly.

When looking at the boy it was like looking in a mirror going through time to when he was a boy, or at least to how he imagined himself to be as a boy.

Suddenly a wild idea came into his head and he lunged at child in front of him and caught him in the chest area winding him and sending him flying off in the short distance.

He smirked ferociously and stalked off, crying with laughter as he went, leaving the boy behind in tatters.

~End of Flashback~

'So..Your father has a stroke...and then forgets he has a son and beats you? Is that right?' She asked lost.

'Essentially...yes.' He said finally, he was exhausted and needed to sleep soon otherwise he knew he was going to collapse himself. He yawned loudly.

'But how? Do you know what it's all caused by? Does Tenten know about this?' She asked frantically.

'One question at a time. No Tenten doesn't know, and I'd rather she didn't. Yes I know what it's caused by and what the problem is, and if you let me finish I'll tell you.'

Sakura quickly stopped asking questions and became slightly flustered as she started to fiddle with her uniform in shame.

'Well I'll get straight to the point because it's late. My dad has a multiple personality disorder.' He said dramatically, yet Sakura stayed silent and let him finish before asking questions.

'After I was first hit, I thought my dad had lost his memory and didn't know who I was. I thought it was amnesia or something but the next day he was perfectly normal with me, and the same the day after and the day after. He was normal until I got to the point where I thought I'd imagined it. And it happened again. Except more violent this time.

'After that time I decided to do some looking up of things and I found that he had a multiple personality disorder. The symptoms all fit. He always seems to have a headache when he's different, he had major memory loss and he gets angry really quickly. Not to mention the paranoia about me being him.' He ended.

Sakura waited a minute before finally asking something, 'So the Gai-sensei who beats you isn't the normal one?'

'No, he isn't. I've come to despise him, the other him. But when it comes down to when he has changed I can't bring myself to hurt him or defend myself at all. It seems I'm the 'trigger', randomly when he's alone with me, he changes, probably because I look a lot like him. I think he sees a lot of himself in me, the last thing he seems to remember is when we were in the forest back then and when he said that it was like looking in the mirror. Through logically thinking and the beatings, it seems like he thinks he can smash the mirror by beating me.'

'I can understand that.' Sakura said with a soothing smile, 'I can see the resemblance easily, you're more like him than just in looks. How does the stroke tie into it all, do you think that caused it?'

'That's exactly what I think.'

'Oh.' She simply put. 'Why did run away before and why did you say he won't be back for a while?'

Lee smiled at her and took a small piece of her hair between his fingers, she blushed to the same colour as it. 'He seen your hair.'

'What does my hair have anything to do with it?' She asked nervously, wondering if there was something wrong with her.

'The other him has developed a an unnatural fear of the colour pink, a phobia, if you want to call it that.'

Sakura smiled warmly towards him and the words to come out of her mouth caused Lee also to blush greatly and for him to become speechless, 'So as long as I'm with you, you're safe?'

Lee could only nod, 'So I'm your own personal shield?'

Yet again he nodded as he grew redder and redder by the second.

He looked at the clock and saw the time, it was really late, past midnight, and they should be in bed, asleep.

'S-sakura-chan? Have you seen the time?' Lee stuttered because he was flustered.

'Is it that late? Oh no, I won't be able to sneak back into my dorm by now, great.' She said as she huffed loudly.

Lee sighed and said, 'I'm sure Naruto and Sasuke won't mind if you stayed here, as long as you leave before they get up, that is.'

Sakura nodded and red bloomed on her cheeks, not only for the fact that Sasuke could be next door, but because she was sleeping in a room with another boy, other than Gaara. She was pleased she had got changed into comfy clothes rather than tight jeans or a fancy top, otherwise she would have had to borrow some clothes to sleep in and it was embarrassing enough staying the night without that added on top.

He got out his chair and pulled out a sleeping bag from what seemed to be nowhere and laid it on the floor. He started to get into the sleeping bag when Sakura piped up.

'Lee-kun? What are you doing?'

'I'm going to bed, goodnight.'

'No. What are you doing on the floor?'

'Well, you're a guest you get the bed.' He said as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

'And you're hurt. You get the bed, I'll take the floor. You need it more than me.'

He saw her hands go on her hips and he instantly knew that if he argued back he was never going to win, she was a woman after all, women always win as was proved many a time with Lee.

'Okay. You win. Here.' He said as he pulled back the opening for the sleeping bag to allow her to get inside.

As she did, he headed over to the light-switch and turned it off. Then he crawled into bed himself.

As he was getting settled, 'Goodnight, Sakura-chan.' He called.

He wondered if she heard him then with a soft sigh she called back, 'Goodnight, Lee-kuuuu...' The sentence left unfinished as her body took over and she fell asleep.

About an hour had passed but as much as he tried Lee could not fall asleep. Despite the exhaustion his body was dealing with, his mind could not shut down. He couldn't help but think of the words Sakura spoke to him. 'So as long as I'm with you, you're safe? So I'm your own personal shield?' He felt insanely happy, so much so that he was more than just happy. He felt content for almost the first time in his life.

She accepted him for who he is, like nobody else had done for him. His father wanted a son who could use Chakra, his other father beat him for who he is and he classmates excluded him because in their eyes he wasn't a true ninja like them.

She was the only one who didn't see that he was the lowest of the low. Even he didn't see much good in himself but Sakura could, so it must be true if she sees it.

He sighed once again, as he had been doing since Sakura fell asleep, and thought over her words. He also felt the firmness around his stomach and remembered the way she gently caressed him as she tended his wounds and how she took care of him. He was glad it was dark and she was breathing deeply so she didn't see the flush which burned his face.

He knew in that moment, the moment that he found he could not stop thinking about her, the moment that he felt happy knowing she was there in the same room as him, he knew that he loved her. In every form, when she was happy, when she was sad, when she was angry. All the way from her crystal green eyes and her fiery pink hair to her cute small sized feet, he loved the way it was.

He sniffed loudly. He knew it had only been a week since he met her but he knew deep down that she was the one for him. It hurt him knowing that Sakura wanted Sasuke and not him but if it made her happy he was urging her on from the sidelines.

A quiet rustle spread through the room and he looked up to see Sakura tossing in her sleep. He smiled and decided to get the last laugh. He climbed out of bed and carefully picked her up out of the sleeping bag and laid in the bed. She looked like a sweet angel while she was sleeping, but he dare not say that to her out loud. She would most likely shout at him for saying something so embarrassing. He chuckled to himself as he lay next to her on top of the covers. She tossed around once again and ended up cuddling into Lee.

He glowed brightly when she did and he responded by wrapping his big muscular arms around her small petite body and placing his head next to hers as he breathed in the sweet strawberry scent of her hair. Finally as fatigue finally took over he drifted off into a deep sleep, but before he did, he heard the girl next to him softly moan as she snuggled closer to Lee, if that was even possible, and she muttered, 'Mmm, that's nice Lee-kun, but this time it's my turn to protect you.', he didn't know whether it was said consciously or not but it said it all to him and he knew that his violent past with his father was finally over.

**So yeah. Lee needed to be have been abused for this to work, and the only one i could think doing that would be Gai-sensei since nobody else would really be able to match his speed. Then i had the major dilemma of how this would happen. So yeah I'm sorry if this is a bit too controversial, i used wikipedia to learn more about it. Please don't hate me for it.**

**Thank you to my reviewers and I hope for more reviews, please let me know how i did with this chapter, i am slightly nervous about uploading it**

**Also Happy Birthday Sasuke, I forgot to mention earlier. **


	11. Chapter 11:Weights

**Gomenasai, Gomenasai, Gomenasai! :'(**

**Sorry for the late update things got a little hectic last night when i randomly find out i had an interview for today so i couldn't get to the computer to update. Really Sorry. Hope this is a good chapter, it's mainly just a small filler chapter to the end of this ''arc'' of the story and to the next one**

While Sakura slept she had a strange dream. She dreamt that Lee got out of bed and laid her with him, she also spoke to him, something which she found embarrassing. Whether or not it was real, she felt safe throughout.

She could feel the still warm covers wrapped around her, and for a second thought she was back in her own room in her bed but then she soon realised that she never was in her bed, she wasn't meant to be in a bed at all, she was in sleeping bag last time she remembered. Her eyes shot open as she checked her surroundings. The light was bright which caused her to close them again but when she slowly opened them and let her eyes adjust, she saw she was in Lee's room, in his bed, and Lee was nowhere to be seen. 'He must have left to do something and left me here in peace, bless him.'

She heard a grunt and then another one and another. They could be heard in a regular pattern. She lifted herself up so she could get a good look of the room to find nothing there. She yawned, stretched and rubbed sleep out of her eyes in confusion. She was sure she had heard a noise. Maybe she was hearing thing, she thought.

Before she could think about anything else, Lee suddenly flew into view from the ceiling. He was hanging upside down like a bat, bare-chest as he exercised. Sakura yelped in surprise when she saw him.

'Good...Morning...Sakura...Chan.' He said between his exercises. After the shock she noticed that Lee had his legs looped through the space between the ceiling and the metal bar using his knees as a hinge, and was using his stomach muscles to pull himself to where his knees were. It looked like a vigorous training method and she scowled at him.

'Morning Lee-kun. You know you shouldn't be doing that with your side as it is.' She said. Pulling the covers off and sitting at the end of the bed, watching him work-out.

'Just ten more.' He said hanging there for a small break, before carrying on and soon he was done and he neatly landed on the floor as he spun his legs out while holding onto the metal bars.

'How you feeling this morning?' She asked.

'A lot better thanks to you and your treatment last night.' He said patting his bandaged side.

'Um. You're welcome.' She said blushing at the compliment, 'How long have you been up?'

'Not long. Only been training for about 5 minutes.' He said while scratching his head. He was pleased to see that Sakura believed him, he had actually been awake for a few hours and had been training all the time since then, but it would only make her worry more.

'Did you do this?'

'Do what?' He asked curiously as he sat down on the bed next to her.

'Swap us around at night?' She said with a blush.

Lee instantly stating glowing red and looked away and muttered, 'Yeah, something like that.'

'Di-did I say anything in my sleep?' She asked also looking away in shame.

'Not that I heard.' He lied.

Sakura sighed from relief and fell backwards onto the bed.

'You're sweet for making me take the bed even when I forced you otherwise.' She said.

Lee twisted his upper body round to look at her directly.

'It's in my nature.' He said, heart beating slightly faster at the figure in front of him, causing him to look away. When he did, he spied his weights in the corner of his room, he then remembered Sakura's request the night before and he got up. He rummaged through a box which contained all his equipment and other things he kept hidden until he found the perfect set of weights for her.

'Lee-kun? What's that you have?' Sakura inquired sitting up again.

He handed her the weights and sat back down, 'They're yours. You said you wanted weights, right?'

'Thank you.' She said holding them close to her chest, they weren't too heavy as to she couldn't hold them at all, but it was heavy enough to improve her speed, until she got used to them.

'Shall we have an all day training session. It's your choice, but I know I need it.' He asked her.

She looked at the clock and noticed it was still early. 'Yeah. Let me go get changed we can have some breakfast and go from there. Okay?'

He smiled and said 'It's a deal. I'll see you down there then.' He got up and opened the door, to hear Naruto's and Sasuke's loud snores coming from their rooms.

Sakura quickly left the room and hurried downstairs and out the front door before they could wake up. She knew that nobody in her dorm would be awake at this time but she still sneaked in quietly and to her room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she sat down on her bed. She checked her phone and decided to send Gaara a quick text before getting changed back into her ninja uniform.

**Went to see Lee-kun last night. I found out the truth and everything is now sorted, thank you for the push. Talk to you later. **

Sakura was changed and downstairs within five minutes. She was one of the first people into the dining hall. She sat in one of the corners of the room, out the way and quiet. This is where she liked to be, out of the spotlight.

Lee soon appeared in his ninja uniform and they were both eating, both in silence. From there they both headed out to the usual training spot.

It was here when they both finally spoke. Lee was as bright and happy as ever and Sakura smiled at his attitude to everything.

He noticed that her boots were a bit more bulked out than yesterday, but he didn't really get a good look at her with the situation which happened. She had a rusted red vest top on with a zipper, underneath was probably a simple sleeveless t-shirt, but he'd rather not think about that. She had a faded salmon skirt on which was cut up the sides and joined near the bottom with a belt buckle type fastening, underneath that was a pair of cool grey shorts with a bandage wrapped around to attach her kunai pouch to her leg. On her hands where a pair of gloves of the colour of prunes, and she had a pair of elbow protectors on her elbows, the same colour as the skirt. Also of prune colour were her boots, which as Lee had noticed before where a bit more padded than usual. And to top it off was a cool blue Konoha headband.

Lee smiled affectionately as he looked her up and down. 'You look really pretty. It suits you perfectly.' He blurted out and then put his hands to his mouth to prevent anything being said as he furiously blushed.

She was facing the other way when he spoke but she spun round, her eyes glittering like real emeralds and she clapped her hands together, 'Really? I have your weights in my boots, that's why they're so fat.'

He nodded slightly abruptly, 'I wouldn't have said it otherwise. Yes, you're uniform is really pretty, your legs could never be fat anyways.'

Sakura smiled as she put her hands on her hips, and with as must strength as she could muster, tried to frown but couldn't, 'I didn't get this to be pretty. It's to be practical, right? That's what a true ninja is like.'

'Of course.' He said with a smile, 'Well talking isn't training is it? Was there anything you needed to learn today?'

Sakura was glad to have taken the initiative to check her book before coming out but was surprised to see it blank. She checked the other pages on a sunday and it looked like Lady Tsunade had given her every sunday off, but was she going to take a break? Of course not, she wanted, needed, to be stronger and wasn't going to stop until she got it.

She shook her head and replied, 'No, there's nothing in any sunday, so I guess that must be the day that I have to go back to her and show her what I've learnt.'

He nodded and motioned for her to follow him.

'What are we doing today then?' She asked, hoping for the life of her it wasn't more running, she almost died last time.

'Well, just a bit of working out. We'll start off with a warm-up, so some running, press-ups, sit-ups and some stretches, then I'll work on my Taijutsu, you can work on practising gathering your Chakra. And finally if you want to I can teach you a few basic moves for you to practise. Then it's a break for food and then back to it.'

Sakura slowed down with each different exercises, until she finally came to a stop and her mouth was hanging wide open. Lee noticed she wasn't next to him anymore so he turned around to see what was up.

'What's wrong Sakura-chan?' He asked

'All that is to be done before lunch?' She asked as she finally started walking again to catch up with him.

He smiled. 'Yeah, I have a tough training regime. You'll get used to it. At least this time I can train with you.'

She smiled, 'And I'm glad about that. So you are okay?' She asked him.

'Thanks to you, I'm ready to wrestle a bear.'

Lee was happy with the way his life was right now, yeah it sucked having a messed up father, but hey he met a nice girl and he was willing to do anything for her. So yeah life was good.

_The days changed to weeks. The weeks to months. Soon the winter holidays were bearing down upon them. The students started wrapping up against the cold; the ninja stopped training as much. But not Lee and Sakura, if anything they trained more. Sakura's strength was improving with each passing day and she was starting to rival the speed and strength of the fastest and strongest student there was, her sensei Lee. She traded her starter weights for heavier and heavier until she had reached the same weight as Lee._

_She has also traded in her first blue ninja headband in for a newer model, a red one to emulate her teacher and also a pair of salmon coloured leg-warmers to appear similar but different. The rest of her uniform went untouched. _

_Sakura wasn't allowed into stadium to watch the tournaments until she was able to enter them herself, which was meant to be after she had completed a training exercise at the end of the winter holidays, if she passed to she was allowed in no bother. Despite all of Lee's denials she could tell that when he got hurt and it didn't help Sakura's mental stability when she knew he was fighting._

_With help from both Ino and Lee, Sakura managed to pull up her grades at school easily and was one of the best students now. However whenever they had PE she would skip doing activities in order to join Lee on running around the track to improve her stamina._

_Sakura's ninja training was going without a problem, she would learn what she needed to that week and present it to Lady Tsunade. She even managed to finish her training early. She had also managed to learn the basics of medical ninjutsu, and Lady Tsunade was right it did need a perfect Chakra level balance and one wrong move and it could seriously harm the patient. At least now if anything happened with Lee and his dad she could be there to heal him._

_As far as Sakura knew, the beatings had stopped as the only times when she left his side was whenever they were asleep or they were changing for school or training. Any other time and he was never alone, even when in his dorm he had Sasuke and Naruto who could protect him, even without their knowing about it._

_She kept in almost constantly in contact between Gaara and her parents. They were all pleased that she had managed to settle in and were doing well in school, even if they didn't exactly know the reason why. They just thought it was because of a certain boy._

_They were partly right, Lee made her feel welcome but Sasuke made her feel at home, even if he was fairly cold to her. She couldn't help but stare after him everywhere he went, her eyes were drawn to him. She wished with all her heart that she could be together with him but she couldn't even get close to him with all the screaming fan-girls he had following him._

_Speaking of being together. Neji and Tenten had recently gotten together after months of needless running around. Everybody knew their feelings for each other but themselves._

_Sakura and Lee were great friends. They had gotten closer over the earlier incident and she followed him wherever he went to ensure his safety in which he was grateful for, by doing so they had became almost inseparable, they were almost like brother and sister. Sakura felt this close friendship and treasured it, but for Lee his childish need for her slowly turned into a deeper and more mature love for the girl but she remained oblivious to his true feelings as he carried on with his usual act._

_Finally it arrived at the last day of the school term and all the kids were looking forward to leaving the school to visit family. Many ninja were leaving briefly for a week to visit people but we coming back to train. Sakura found they were pretty big on training in this school, more so than the other villages, that's why Konoha Private Academy produced the most elite ninjas out in the world. However since Lee father was a teacher he would be staying there anyway, but Sakura decided that she would stay at the school and her parents had agreed that they would came and visit during the holidays to spend Christmas with her._

_This was the worst day that Sakura had ever had._

**Please review as you have been doing, it makes my day seeing i have a new review to any of my stories **


	12. Chapter 12:Confessions

**Hey guys, another one of my longer chapters here. Sorry it wasn't uploaded yesterday but i was kind of celebrating my A-level results with my stepdad and got kind of tipsy that i forgot to do it even though i have it plastered on my desktop of my update days. For anybody who reads my other story i won't be updating much on that i may do it like once a month instead but it's only when i do decide to update it as i'm struggling to keep up with two stories and it's the holidays, what am i going to be like in college and working so yeah hell i know but for my own benefit it has to be done. sorry.**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

'Your dad's leaving the school on a top secret mission?' Sakura asked as Lee and Sakura headed to their respective dorms before their usual training session.

Lee nodded his head, 'Yeah, he's leaving tonight, he didn't say where though. Just said he'd be away for a while and he didn't know when he would be back.'

'Well shouldn't you be spending time with him before he goes rather than training with me? He's much more important.'

Lee cast her a fond look, she never saw this emotion even though she was looking right at him, and thought 'If only you knew, you're the most important person in my world, even more important than my dad.'

'He would be very disappointed in me if I skipped training just for him. Training is important considering I'm slightly more disadvantaged than others.' He said, telling a white lie. He had actually told his dad that he wouldn't be able to see him off tonight as he had plans but he knew that his father frowned upon missing a training session so he wasn't exactly telling a lie there, was he?

They had just reached Sakura's door and she was about to go in when she came out with, 'I don't agree with it though. How about we schedule a break for when your father leaves and then you can see him off and not miss training?'

Lee thought for a second before he answered 'Yeah. That's a good idea. We'll do that then.'

Lee headed off and Sakura watched him until he went in. It had became a habit which started after the night she stayed with him, which she still blushed at on occasion, where she would wait until he got to his dorm before she went in hers to make sure he's okay.

However before she actually managed to go through the open door she was stopped by an unsuspecting person. Right beside the door suddenly a bright flash of orange was seen and it made Sakura flinch. Naruto had appeared suddenly out of nowhere.

'Jesus Naruto! Don't do that!' She whined at him. She started getting along better with him, even if he did get annoying at time sand pull stunts like this almost constantly.

'I'm sorry Sakura, can we talk? In private?' He asked almost at a whisper.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. Naruto never normally acted like this, so whatever it was, it must be important. She nodded and followed him down the hall to a more secluded area.

'Naruto, can you hurry it up. I'm kinda busy right now.' Sakura asked impatiently. It was true she had a lot of things she needed to do and couldn't waste much time.

'You're always busy. I need to get something off my chest and you're the only one who can do it.' He said as he slowly undone the zipper his orange jacket to reveal his black t-shirt which hung loosely on his slim figure.

'I-I don't know what you mean.' She admitted. She was confused by the sudden change in his demeanour. Naruto threw his jacket to the side.

'Maybe I need to show you.' He said huskily as he took a hesitant step towards her. He placed one of his hands on her shoulder as the other went around to the small of her back as he pulled her towards him so their faces were only inches away from each other, both gazing intently into the others eyes, although for different reasons. Sakura looking confused at this action, and as for Naruto, well...

His hand on her shoulder all too conveniently slid down to the top of her arm to reveal a sexy red lace bra strap which was pulled tight, as the material also slid with his hand.

The words which were about to come from Sakura's mouth were instantly silenced as Naruto pulled her towards him and their lips met in the middle.

Soft moans of pleasure and lust were heard coming from Naruto as he kissed her lips softy as he made to become more rougher and dominant. Sakura on the other hand tried to struggle against it but was overpowered through the shock at what was happening. When Naruto retreated to take a breath before going back down for another go, Sakura used the time to retailiate.

'Iieeeeeeeee!' She shouted as she gathered her Chakra in her fist and released it all in one punch. The punch collided with Naruto's chest and sent him flying and colliding with the opposite wall. She didn't have the punch at full power she didn't want to hurt just for him to get off.

'What the hell Naruto? What the hell was that about?' She said breathing deeply trying to get the air she had lost from the lack of air when he kissed her.

He wiped his mouth as he stood back up again, 'Can't you tell that I love you Sakura? Or are you blind to that?'

Sakura's head hung in shame. 'Look, Naruto, I'm sorry but...there's...someone else. I can't return your feelings.'

Naruto almost growled with rage, 'What does Lee have that I don't, I'm more of a ninja than he is. It should be me and not him.'

Sakura's eyes flashed with red, that comment was not called for, Naruto flinched with the viciousness of it. 'This has nothing to do with Lee, and he is better ninja because at least he doesn't do something without the other's consent. And for you're information it isn't Lee at all, he just a good friend. So, back off.'

She stormed off and into her dorm as she pulled her sleeve back up and wiped at her mouth until the feeling of his lips on hers was gone, leaving behind not only an angry Naruto, but a dazed one at that.

Sakura ducked to dodge the punch thrown at her and immediately spun round with one leg outstretched as to knock the legs from under her opponent, but she already knew that he was too fast to be fooled by it, and as she expected he simply back-flipped out the way as if it were a simple game of jump rope.

Sakura saw that Lee was leaping back forward as she spun round. She used the momentum gained from this spin to put a lot of power behind her elbow but when she had spun back around to face him again, he was nowhere to be seen.

She suddenly felt a sharp cool metal object held to her neck, she knew this to be a kunai. 'You're letting your anger power you, it's making you slow and make many mistakes. Want to talk about it?' He said as he lowered the knife and sheathed it in his pouch. He sat down on the floor where he was and gestured for Sakura to do the same.

She rubbed the place where she had the kunai held to and sat down and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her head on her arms.

'What's wrong?' He said as he shuffled along a little towards her, something which naturally happened without him meaning to but Sakura wasn't bothered by this.

'It's Naruto. He confessed to me before. I'm pissed off about it but I'm starting to wonder if I was too rough on him.'

Lee's large eyebrows creased into a frown. 'How did that happened?'

So she explained. She told him that before she went in her room Naruto wanted to talk, she went with him to a secluded area and he started acting all weird, and then he kissed her and she got angry. She told him everything what was said. She could not, however, see the different emotions running across Lee's face as he heard the story, as she was looking into the distance as if she could see through the fabric of space and time itself and to see all the knowledge of the world.

At first he was angry at Naruto's advancement, pleased at her pushing him away, really happy about her comments to him but also sad because now he knew that she still liked Sasuke even if she hadn't admitted it to him, he could tell because she looks at Sasuke the same way that he looks at her.

He sighed deeply but silently and then put on a fake but believable smile and consoled her, 'You did the right thing. You didn't want that but he wasn't going to stop. I know Naruto fairly well and that's the way he is. Don't beat yourself up about it.' He placed an arm round her shoulder and slightly shook her back to reality.

She finally looked at him, tears brewing in the corners of her eyes at his comforting words.

'If you feel so bad go find him and tell him that you're sorry about the way you said what you did, but not what you said. Let's take our break early, you can find Naruto and I can see my dad off.' It was starting to get dark, 'We'll meet back here in half an hour? Bring your lamp with you and I'll bring mine, we'll need them since it's getting dark.'

Sakura nodded and wiped her eyes, 'Thanks.'

'No problem.' Lee said standing up and reaching down to help her up.

Where could he be? Sakura thought as she stalked the hallways trying to find him. She knew he wouldn't be outside, his training day was yesterday after all and he wouldn't do it twice in a row. So he had to be around here somewhere she pondered.

She decided to return to where it happened as that seemed the most logical choice, and as she guessed he was there sitting against the wall looking out of the nearby window watching the setting sun. His eyes were red, but it could either be from the light of the sun or he had been crying, Sakura suspected the latter.

This scene made Sakura feel worse about it all. She quietly walked next to him and leaned again the wall and slid down next to him. She placed a hand on his arm, 'Hey.' She said softly to him as he turned his head to see who had made contact with him.

He turned his head away and stared at the opposite wall.

'Look, I'm sorry. I should never had said those things to you. I just didn't want what you did. Please understand that.' She pleaded with him, Naruto had become her friend and she didn't want to lose him.

'It hurt, y'know? It hurt a lot what you said.' He told her.

Sakura sighed. 'Yeah I do know. That's why I'm here, I said some nasty things, but I stand by my decision. I can't return your feelings when there's someone else.'

Naruto smiled sadly, 'Yeah I know. At least I can move on now huh? I wonder who the next person is going to be.'

Sakura smiled, 'You know, I'm sure you and Hinata would be perfect for each other.'

Naruto laughed at this, a loud deep laugh, 'Yeah, if I can survive the beating from Neji for dating his cousin.'

Sakura giggled a little, 'That's true enough.'

'You really think Hinata would like me?' He said growing serious once again.

'You won't know until you try, will you?' Sakura smiled knowingly, she knew that Hinata was always watching Naruto, since she started at this school this much she could tell.

'I guess not. I mean I do like her just I never thought about her in that way.'

'So does this mean you're going to ask her out?' She asked.

Naruto shook his head, 'Not right now. I need to get over you first and I also need to check her feelings about me.'

'I'm glad you know my feelings, even if I was rejected. No hard feelings?' Naruto asked.

'It's alright. I'm glad I know you're feelings too. In all honesty it's quite flattering.' Sakura giggled.

'Really?'

'Yeah. Nobody's told me that they love me before.' Sakura said, 'Except maybe Gaara, but he's more like a brother so it doesn't count.' She added in her head.

'Then I'm the first for you. At least I'll stay in your memory.' He said.

'Oh Naruto. You really are an idiot aren't you. You're my friend, I'm not going to forget about you easily.'

Naruto smiled at her sweetness. She knew exactly how to make some better even when their world had been crushed. In the few minutes they had been talking she had managed to rebuild his world. Maybe that's why he loved her, but he knew now that he had quench these feelings towards the beautiful flower next to him.

Sakura was smiling back at him, pleased she had managed to apologise and that he had cheered up by a massive amount.

Without Sakura doing anything, Chakra gathered within her. She instantly knew something was wrong but she wasn't sure what and so a frown appeared on her face. It felt as if her Chakra wanted her to go somewhere, and that it would lead her wherever she should be.

'Sakura? What's wrong?' Naruto asked as he saw the frown appear on her face.

'I-I don't know. Sorry but I have to go.' She said as she jumped to her feet and started hurrying down the corridor following each direction the Chakra was pulling her towards.

Naruto stood there reaching out towards Sakura was. He was confused at her sudden change in attitude, but he decided to shrug it off and headed off for a good long nap. With everything which had happened he was exhausted.

Sakura had found herself at the entrance of the school but there was nobody around. She knew that she was to wait for whoever was to come or go. She felt like it may have been to wait for Lee when his dad was leaving, but she didn't believe it.

It had already grew dark and the lights around the school had been lit and a slow glow was surrounding the school grounds.

She sat down on a nearby bench under one of the lights and waited as the Chakra within her had died down now she was where it felt she should be.

It felt like she waited forever, but in reality it had only been about ten minutes, until finally a figure came into view. He was carrying a huge backpack as if all belongings were with him. She could only see the outline of him, after all he was in the shadows, but something about him seemed strangely familiar. He was heading towards the gate, whoever it was they were leaving the school.

Sakura felt the need to speak up, 'Umm, hello.' She said as she walked towards him.

The boy looked up at the sound of her voice, he wasn't expecting somebody to be out here at all. He thought he'd be able to sneak away without being noticed but he should have known that it was futile.

'Oh Sakura. It's you.' He replied with animosity towards her.

The voice was very familiar but she couldn't believe that the tone of voice was coming from him. 'Sa-sasuke?' she questioned hoping she was wrong.

He stepped into the light and his perfect features were amplified and he appeared much older than he actually was, as if he had aged since she saw him earlier, but Sakura knew it was him.

'What are you doing Sasuke?' She asked confused.

'I'm going home what does it look like?' He said rather bluntly.

'For the holidays?' She asked but a feeling in the bottom of her stomach told her she didn't want to know the answer, however she knew she needed to, otherwise her Chakra would never rest.

Sasuke looked in her eyes and his narrowed in hate, he couldn't stand to be around her, hopefully then she'd let him go. Sakura felt a stab of pain in her heart at the look he gave her.

'No. I won't be coming back. My father is going to teach me.' He said and he turned around heading once again for the gate.

'Won't...be...back?' She asked feebly, she was hoping her hearing was failing her, she hoped desperately for that, if he was never coming back then she knew she wouldn't survive without him.

'Yes. You'll never see me again.' He said over his shoulder without stopping.

Tears were forged in her eyes and trickled down her face as she bit back a sob, she didn't want to cry, she wasn't going to cry but she knew she was just preventing the inevitable. Whatever she was expecting him to say it wasn't this, it chipped away slowly at her heart.

Sasuke suddenly felt something fly into the back of him making him slightly stumble to a stop. Sakura had ran up behind him and embraced him from behind. His back becoming wet because of her tears which had finally started falling, 'Please, Sasuke. Don't leave.' She sobbed, voice barely audible however he managed to hear it.

Sasuke's eyes closed as he felt her embrace tighten, 'Give me one good reason why should stay.' He told her coldly.

'I-i-i. Well, I.' She stuttered nervously, she felt butterflies in her stomach as she tried to find the words to tell him how she felt. When she realised how hard it was she admired Naruto for being able to tell her.

'Well spit it out then.' He snorted out.

'I-i love you Sasuke. Don't leave me. Please.' She shouted at the beginning but then quietened as she mumbled the end through her choking tears of emotion. Emotions of hurt, fear, shame, love, happiness and guilt were pouring out of her.

His eyes flashed with anger as he pushed her away, making her land in a heap on the floor. The physical pain was enough for Sakura to cringe away from him, but it was nothing compared to the hole she felt from the crack within her heart which was forced further open from his total and hateful rejection of her feelings.

'You're disgusting. I feel violated even knowing you like me. How can you be like this when a perfectly decent guy wants you?' He said looking down at her through fierce eyes.

'What do you mean?' She whispered horrified as her tears still fell, but through her shock managed to snap her out of her howling.

'Naruto. He loves you. He was willing to do anything for you.'

'I told him I can't return his feelings when I love you and he knows that. Yes I hurt him and I didn't mean to but I can't live a lie with him.' She sobbed into her hands as she felt the guilt of turning him down, yes she liked him but not enough to date him, the guilt from that was enough to make her feel even worse, like everything was going wrong all at once.

Sasuke's nostrils flared. 'I can't stay here knowing the one I love, loves you of all people.'

Sakura choked back a sob and hiccupped as she tried to fight for control, she didn't want to appear like this to Sasuke she was hoping to talk him back into staying and for that she needed to stay in control, even if she knew her heart was breaking, 'What do you mean?'

In a much softer tone with a cute smile as if reminiscing he replied, 'Naruto. I wish he could know how I felt. I wish I could tell him.' His eyes saw her again and he frowned deeply, 'But when he loves you he can't see anything else but you.'

'You're..gay?' She asked as her mind spoke to her, whispering things, 'See, even if you told him earlier it wouldn't matter, he doesn't swing your way.' It spoke to her, as if knowing something she didn't.

'Does that surprise you? No I don't have feelings for women, so I'm sorry but it won't be enough to keep me here. Nice try though.' She said finally with a soft smile actually for her, it made her melt at the sight of it, and she knew that it would be one of her last sights of him, so she drunk it in like a cat lapping milk. 'Thank you though, for worrying about me and being thoughtful enough to try and stop me, but because of this I've begun to resent you and I'm sorry.'

Sakura was amazed that he was actually being nice right now, it would have made her smile from ear to ear any other day but the pain in her heart was much worse, it ached from the loss of him, even though he was still here, it was as if it was anticipating the pain before it had occurred. This was the last time she was going to see him and that hurt more than anything she ever knew. She had never been so heartbroken in her life.

'I have to go now. Look after Naruto for me, even as just a friend.'

She nodded reluctantly as her tears trickled down her face and dripped on the dusty ground and he turned away walking off into the night.

Once he had turned his back on her, she almost broke down completely but not before she managed to do one last thing. 'Don't forget I won't stop loving you.' She whispered after him into the wisps of darkness as she collapsed on the floor from all her pent up sadness.

He simply waved his arm in acknowledgement as he carried on until the darkness enveloped him and he was gone.

It took a while for realisation to finally settle in. She had been there for just over a minute or two until she started trying to crawl after him, pulling her body weight with the tips of her fingers dug into the ground. She had grazed her knees badly as she scraped along the floor but she didn't care. All she wanted was Sasuke to run back to her and tell her everything was okay and not too leave.

But she knew that wasn't going to happen, so she finally stopped, wrapped her arms around and hugged herself. It was the only thing she could think of that could calm her down in a moment like this as her head was filled with anguish of losing him and she couldn't think straight. She should really get inside otherwise she would freeze here but the lethargy she felt within her bones and muscles, refused her to move even and inch, all she could do was cry. And as loud as she cried nobody came by this way so nobody could hear her.

Now that Sasuke had gone, he must be out of the village by now she managed to think, all she wanted was Lee. She had helped him through his problem and she didn't want any repayment at the time, as much as he offered it, but now she would have taken him right up on the offer, she needed someone, desperately. She was falling apart at the seams and she knew she wouldn't be able to put herself back together again on her own after this, it may never happen, but she was willing to try and that was a start. If only she could get herself to her room and out the freezing cold.

She cried so much and loud that she had not noticed that Lee had appeared nearby. He was just walking with his father and Tenten to wish him a safe trip and see him off but a loud noise could be heard and he wondered who or what could be making it. The closer they got to the gates the louder the noise got. Discussions had stopped briefly because of it. Lee could faintly make out that it was a girl by the high-pitched tone to it and she seemed to be crying, he knew nothing else but he had a bad feeling about it.

As usual, his bad feelings were right as he turned around the corner and saw the recognisable pink and red heap of hair and clothes lying on the floor shaking with cold and being the source of crying. His heart sank at the sight, he could tell in the millisecond he saw her that she was broken inside and no matter how much effort he put in he couldn't save her unless she wanted to be saved, but by the way she was acting it didn't seem like she did want to.

In the second after seeing her he was instantly by her side but to his anguish, she didn't even know he was there. He gently and cautiously placed his hand on her shoulder, 'Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan, what's wrong?' Her eyes were bloodshot from the crying and she stared at him confused. 'Did she even know who I am?' he thought as he gently shook her. 'Sakura-chan, snap out of it.' He said a little more forcibly, he was getting increasingly worried about her.

Her eyes finally focused as she still cried and tears flooded the place, 'Lee...kun? You came?'

Lee smiled and let out a breath from relief, she was upset but she was okay, 'Of course I came. You say some silly things at times.'

She smiled only for a second before her face crumpled and she was a wreck again crying louder than before as he cried into Lee's chest. Lee knew he couldn't do anything, he tried on countless times to put his arms around her and hold her but he couldn't; he had never felt so helpless in his life, it killed him to see her like this and so tears welled in his eyes too.

Gai-sensei and Tenten had reached them by now and were looking puzzled at the scene. Gai-sensei thought that now may be the best time to go but not before he gave his son some advice.

'Take her back to her room. Make sure she's okay and look after her.' Lee looked up to see his dads calm, smiling face. It was all he needed to see for him to make his decision. He wasn't going to let her just crumble away from him like this.

'Okay father. Have a safe trip. Come home as soon as you can.' Lee gently prised Sakura away for the briefest of seconds to give his father a hug goodbye.

'You can count on it his.' He said as he surprisingly returned the embrace.

Afterwards he walked off towards the gate.

'Just head off to her room, I'll be there soon if you need anything.' Tenten said worried about Sakura, she headed off to go and most likely see Neji. So much of a friend she is, Lee thought.

He squatted down beside the howling Sakura, she cried worse when Lee let her go. He shuffled her around a bit until he was giving her a piggyback, with her crying softly in his back, she must have exhausted herself, he thought.

He quickly ran through the halls as quickly as he could without jostling her, as she was slowly drifting off into a deep sleep despite her repeated deep gasps and hiccups.

Lee knocked on the door to the dorm, hoping that somebody would be in. As if it were his only luck today, Ino had soon opened the door.

'Lee? What are you doing here, Sakura's out.' She replied in a slight annoyed tone, but when Lee turned slightly and he saw Sakura on his back, shivering and the red stains around her eyes.

'What happened?' She almost squealed.

'I don't know, I just found her by the school gates lying on the floor crying her eyes out. She hardly said one word to me. Can you tell me what room is hers?'

Ino looked at him in bewilderment and led the way for him.

When he placed her on the bed he asked Ino a kinda strange request, 'Would you be able to dress her into something else? It would be better for her if she were in warmer clothing that the one's she's in.'

Ino just nodded as Lee carefully closed the door. He then leaned against the wall and slid down. He felt like he had done all he could do, he brought her here so she could be looked after by her friends, 'She doesn't need me there' he thought helplessly. He was about to get up and leave when Ino opened the door.

'She's all changed. She woke up and she's asking for you. She may be asleep again though.' Ino said as she muttered something about going to get a box tissues from somewhere.

When he finally opened the door again, he saw that she was laid in bed and the covers were pulled around her but he could still see the large baggy deep purple top in which she now wore. He pulled up the chair from the desk and sat down next to her bed. He looked at her finally sleeping peaceful even though her brow furrowed many times indicating she was possibly having a nightmare. Lee was tempted to wake her up to save her from the dreams but he didn't want to disturb her.

Many hours later, and Sakura shot up shaking with fear. Lee jumped up and was instantly by her side.

'Oh Lee-kun.' She wailed as she sobbed into his shoulder, with uncertainty he wrapped his arms around her holding her closer to him, 'Oh Sakura-chan, I wish there was something I could do, it kills me to see you like this.' He thought as he squeezed tighter for not only hers but for his comfort, he felt a lot more confident and loved how her small petite body fit against his muscular body even with the awkward positioning, but he only wished that it was through different circumstances. He slowly rubbed her back as she started to calm down. She pulled away and start wiping her eyes with the bed-sheet.

'Are you okay now?' Lee asked worried about her.

Sakura nodded but her face darkened. It didn't look like she wanted to talk but he needed to know everything.

'Sakura-chan? Can you tell me what happened?' He asked. Sakura looked away and leaned back to lay back down in bed. He slid off the bed and knelt beside the bed, he placed his hand on her cheek and made her look at him, 'Please. I need to know what happened if I'm going to help you.'

She nodded and choked back a sob. 'It's Sasuke.' She whispered so quietly he almost didn't hear her.

'What about Sasuke?' He pressed gripping her hand for support.

'H-he's g-g-gone.' Sakura stuttered, squeezing back managing not to cry. 'He's never coming back.'

Lee sighed. He knew that this was killing her just as much as watching her was killing him.

'Did you tell him your feelings?' He blurted out without thinking and then mentally kicking himself for his freudian slip.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise but still tears formed, 'How long have you known?'

'I've always known.' He replied honestly and apologetically.

Sakura looked away and buried her head in her pillow, still gripping tightly to Lee's hand, and nodded. 'I did, but it didn't matter he still left.' She howled.

She soon managed to fall back asleep again, even if it was lightly. Ino came into the room to check on things before bed and Lee quickly removed his hand from hers as he never took it away. He slightly blushed as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. Luckily Ino never noticed this and gestured for him to join her by the door.

'Have you found out what's wrong? She asked curiously.

Lee nodded, 'Yeah. Apparently Sasuke has left the school and won't be coming back. She had feelings for him and he rejected her.' He said each word lying heavily on his heart. He wasn't a person who held grudges at all but he knew that if he ever saw Sasuke again he was gonna kill him for this.

'Poor thing.' Ino said looking over at Sakura's sleeping form, 'You look tired maybe you better go to bed. I can keep an eye on her if you want.'

He looked at Sakura and sighed, he needed to stay with her but he also needed sleep. He'd be back tomorrow for her, he thought. He agreed and was about to leave when he heard a soft broken voice.

'Wait. Don't leave me Lee-kun.' The voice said and when he turned around he saw Sakura was leaning up into a sitting position and he couldn't believe how lifeless she looked. It was almost as if her soul had left her body and it was left here to go through the motions of life but with no emotion behind it.

'Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you.' He said pointedly looking at Ino as if to say looks like I'm having to stay, 'Ino's going to keep you company, I'll be back in a bit okay? As in five minutes.'

Lee quickly made his way to his room and quickly got changed out of his uniform into a pair of comfy clothes as he was sure he was in for a long night. He went down into the kitchen of the dorm and quickly made a few sandwiches. They hadn't had dinner so he knew that she must be hungry, even if she won't eat anything. He knew she was stubborn so he couldn't force her to eat something if she didn't want to.

He then returned to Sakura's room to find Ino sitting in the chair he was before trying not to look at Sakura as her behaviour was nothing like it used to be.

'I'll go to bed now then. Behave yourself.' She said looking directly at Lee, as if she thought he would take advantage of her because of being in this state. Lee felt worse than he already did, he knew that he wasn't trusted by Ino but right now she didn't matter. She left the room and closed the door behind her.

Lee sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to speak, however he waited a long time until he decided to go first.

'I made some sandwiches, do you want one?' He asked cheerily plastering a huge goofy grin on his face as this usually worked when she was upset, but all he got was a shake of the head.

'What about something to drink?' He presses, hoping for a different reaction. Yet again she shook her head.

'Sakura-chan? Speak to me. Please.' His voice wavered with him being on the verge of tears.

All he received was silence and a blank stare.

Lee couldn't take it anymore and he threw his arms around her as he started loudly sobbing like he had never done before.

'I just want to help you in anyway I can. Just tell me and I'll do it.'

Sakura was caught off guard by his outburst knocked a bit of sense into her and she lifted her arms so they were around his shoulders.

They were both crying now and for a long time they remained doing so. Lee now knowing she was okay, at least showing some emotion, pulled away and wiped Sakura's eye dry.

He smiled and said innocently 'You look a right state.'

Sakura smiled sadly and softly at him, he was so sweet trying to cheer her up in any way possible, trying his usual attempt of humour.

'You scared me half to death there with the lifelessness. I thought I had lost you.' He told her.

'I'm sorry Lee-kun. I couldn't help it. I wanted to answer but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.' She said leaning back into his arms, she felt oddly safe and content there but she couldn't answer herself why. All she could think of was how he seemed to drive away the thoughts of Sasuke leaving her.

'You have no reason to be sorry. These things happen, I'd rather they didn't but it's true. I was like this with my dad. I know what it's like.' He wrapped his arms around her again as if trying protecting her from anything which was concerning her. He felt happy being like that with her despite the way the girl was feeling. It made him feel guilty in the fact he was happy in her time of sadness.

He slowly started stroking her hair to reassure her that he was here for her and he'd always be here if that was what she needed because it was him who truly loved her. He tried to say all of that in just one string of motions but he knew she wouldn't pick it up.

The comforting motion made Sakura involuntarily yawn. Lee felt this and suddenly remembered the situation as he started to slowly drift off into a world of his own. He shook his head briefly and pulled away again. Sakura felt strangely disappointed at this and wanted more.

'You must get some rest. You have gone through a lot tonight and must be worn out.' He said making her lean back down on the bed and he lifted himself off the bed and started walking to the desk chair a few steps from her bed.

He stopped mid-step as he felt a pair of hands grab one of his. He turned around and saw her pleading eyes looking at him.

'Please don't leave me.' She requested.

'I'm only going to the chair over there.' He said pointing with his free hand to the chair behind him.

'That's not what I mean. Stay with me, here. When you're close, I can't think of Sasuke and I don't think I can deal with the nightmares right now. So, please…..stay with me?' She asked him.

Lee blushed brightly as he realised her request, 'She wants me to sleep alongside her.' He thought, 'It's not much different from when she slept at mine and I put her on the bed and cuddled into her back then', but she was asleep and didn't know anything of it, this time they were both awake and aware of the closeness between them. He gulped quietly and slid under the covers and propped himself up on the headboard.

'Thank you.' She said voice full of emotion as she scooted over to give him some room.

'No problem. I'd do anything to help you get better.' He said smiling and placed a hand on her arm.

She looked at him and his honesty, knowing that what words he spoke were the truth, he wouldn't lie, least of all to her. She instinctively cuddled into his neck and placed her hand on his rough chest as his arms wrapped around her pulling her closer to him.

'Is that comfy?' He asked her.

She nodded and he could feel the muscles in her face contract, signalling that she was smiling.

'Goodnight Sakura-chan, sleep well.' He said softly.

'Goodnight Lee-kun, thank you.' She whispered gratefully as her quiet breathing slowly became deeper and loudly, and she had fallen asleep. Lee felt grateful that she had fell asleep so quickly so there was no awkward situations.

However for Lee that wasn't quite the case.

He had lay there for a while thinking of how lucky he was to be here with her now and also hoping that Ino didn't come and check in on them. Since he couldn't sleep for worry of Sakura he had time to take in all what was around him. Even though it was dark as he had turned off the light, he could tell that the room was bright, he didn't pay much attention before as he thought more about Sakura, hoping that she was going to be okay. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he found that she was okay.

She shifted a little in her sleep and her hair softly tickled Lee under the chin. He gently chuckled as he gave her limp tired body a quick squeeze.

However as she shifted in her sleep she managed to pull up the trouser leg of Lee to reveal some bare skin on his leg. He soon felt something soft brush against his leg, he wondered what it was until he felt the warmness of her skin against his. Then he realised that Ino must have dressed her in shorts or even nothing at all under the large t-shirt.

His face became hot at the thoughts which suddenly went rushing through his head and his heart started beating faster and louder, he was surprised that Sakura couldn't hear it and wake up. His senses increased dramatically and it felt like time had slowed down, he could feel each individual heart beat as if they were seconds apart, even though he knew his heart was racing. He could feel his body changing slightly at the contact and he instantly knew what was happening. He could feel the rush of blood from his vital organs, causing him to hyperventilate, and felt it rushing to a certain appendage instead.

'NO!' His mind shouted. 'NO, I'm not doing this.' He looked at Sakura's sad face as she slept. He was there to block out the majority of her thoughts about Sasuke but he knew that she was still troubled. This was not the time to be turned on, he needed to be strong enough to control his instinctive pleasures and desires, no matter how good it may feel, Sakura didn't need this right now. She was hurting right now and he was just taking advantage of the situation.

With all the strength he could muster he slowed his breath down as slow as it could go and diverted his attention to other things, boring stuff. Slowly his pulse returned to normal and he let out a sigh of relief.

A couple of guilty tears made their tracks down his face. 'I'm so sorry Sakura-chan. I'll make sure it won't happen again.' He whispered softly in her ear as he laid his head by hers and closed his eyes to finally try and get some sleep, breathing in her deep strawberry scent as he did.

**Please review before you go thank you ^-^**


	13. Chapter 13:Depression

**Hey guys sorry for the late update, i was busy since i started work a few days ago and have been worked off my feet in the run up to starting college so now that i start college tomorrow i may have some free time in the evenings and i hope i can still write well enough due to the small amount of time i have. Anyways enough of that heres the new chapter**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

Lee woke with a start. Sun was seeping through the light purple curtains and blinded his vision, but even he could easily tell that he was not in his room. He tried to push up from the soft bed to see his surroundings but he couldn't as one side of him was weighted down but a warm outline. He then remembered the events of the night before and how distraught Sakura was. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and twisted slightly so he could get a better look and saw that Sakura was leaning on his arm as she slept.

She was facing away from him and her light pink hair was fluffy and kinked, sticking out in odd places, as if she had tossed and turned in the night. He sighed contently and placed his hand on the tender area between her hip and the bottom of her ribs as his fingers dangled down and lightly tickled her belly through the material of her t-shirt. He felt guilty about exploiting her while she was asleep but the adorable little pout she made while she slept made it impossible for him to resist.

However he soon realised where he was as she groaned a little in her sleep and twitched. He removed his hand but continued to cuddle up into her back and placed his forehead in between her shoulder blades.

He had became comfy and was just about to drift off to sleep once again, even though he knew he shouldn't because of Ino possibly bursting in, but he hadn't felt this comfortable and content in a long time and needed to allow himself this one pleasure, when Lee heard her phone ring and vibrate.

He looked at her, seeing that she was un-phased by this he slowly slid his numb arm from underneath her and reached over to pick up the phone, while doing this he got out of bed.

'Hello?' Lee said curiously as he waited for the responding voice.

'Where's Sakura?' The voice growled loudly that he had to hold the speaker away from his ear as to not deafen himself.

'Can you be quiet, please?' He shushed the unknown boy, 'She's asleep and shouldn't really be woken up right now.'

The line was quiet for a while, until the voice spoke again in a much quieter but still slightly rough voice, it sounded more natural. 'What's happened?'

Lee tried his best to quietly and calmly tell the boy everything, he didn't know why he did, he knew nothing of the person he was talking to but he felt like he could instantly trust him. When he finished he could hear the other person struggling to keep himself under control but never managed it and her heard a muffled and distant 'bastard', which made Lee smile as that was exactly what he was thinking.

'Can I ask who this is anyway? And why you answered?' The boy asked a little suspiciously.

'I'm Lee.' He replied and he blushed, 'And as to why I answered, well….she forced me to stay the night.'

Lee heard an amused laugh and he looked at the phone oddly, it sounded strange a laugh coming from that voice, creepy even. He was glad when the laughter stopped and he spoke calmly once again.

'So you're Lee then? Sakura's told me a lot about you.'

Lee felt speechless at the fact that she spoke of him to what he guessed to be an old friend.

'I should be off; can you pass on this message for me? _I hope you're okay Sakura, keep well and call me when you can_.'

'And who should I say called?' He asked

Lee could almost hear the smile from the other end, 'Just tell her that Gaa-chan called.' And with that he hung up.

Lee stood there in the middle of the room hardly able to believe what had just happened. He gently placed the phone back where he found it and saw that Sakura had not moved an inch from where he left her. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her deeply breathing proving that she was still soundly asleep. He gently stroked her hair like he did last night and then got up to use the bathroom.

As he was washing his face he suddenly heard a loud scream from Sakura and he instantly ran back to her without drying off.

'Are you okay?' He asked desperately before he even managed to get out the bathroom but when he did, he saw she was sitting upright and her eyes were widely and frantically looking around her room, looking for Lee. Small tear tracks lined her cheekbones as she cried for Sasuke, cried for Lee and cried also for herself.

'Lee-kun? I thought you'd left me.' She replied sadly but in a monotone voice.

He sat next to her as he placed his hand on hers, 'I would never leave you if you didn't want me to.' He told her as he also got a tissue and wiped her tears away.

'Thanks.' She said in the same tone of voice.

'Do you want something to eat? Drink?' He asked hoping she would but all he received was a shake of the head.

'I'm not hungry.' She said a few seconds later.

'Sakura,' He called her name sternly, she looked at him and his face, 'Don't do this again, don't go all depressed again.'

He held both her hands now and gave them a reassuring squeeze to let her know that everything was alright. He knew that right now she wanted Sasuke to be here to reassure herself that it was all going to be okay, but if he was here then there wouldn't be any need to reassure her. Lee was in a dilemma, he knew that if Sasuke came back he would get a good arse kicking but it would hurt Sakura, and it would mean he would be hurt again by her basic rejection of him. But if he didn't come back then Sakura would remain depressed and it would hurt him more.

Luckily for him though, this simple squeeze brought her back around and she showed emotion once more. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though Sakura had slept like a log all night she still felt tired, after she had snapped out of her loss of control she had been almost over come with a wave of nausea. She hadn't eaten for what she could only guess would be around a day by the way she felt but she knew it wasn't. Her stomach rumbled loudly in the quiet of the bedroom.

'Do you want something to eat now you've woken up properly?' He said generously, without mentioning becoming overcome with her depression and instead used the term woken up, which made Sakura smile truly for once since he left. She avoided trying to think of the subject but it almost always came up in her mind and as much force as she used to force it away it came back with almost just as much, more so. So whenever the thought came up she referred to him instead of a name as it may help her feel better.

She nodded while briefly smiling. Lee smiled widely pleased that she had decided to finally eat something, it was obvious that he was worrying about her and she felt guilty for that but she knew she would make it up to him again eventually, and then he got up and went to her desk.

As he did she lifted the quilt off her and swung her legs off the edge of the bed to her left. She shivered as she felt the cold air slap at her legs. She looked down and noticed that Ino must had dressed her in her mid-length shorts. When she looked up she noticed that Lee had turned around with a small plate of something in his hands. His eyes had lazily glanced down and upon seeing her long bare legs and a large blush appeared across his face. He quickly looked up and handed her the plate as his eyes glazed over. He quickly sat down at the edge of the bed and pulled his legs up to his chest and placed his head on his knees. When she tried to reach out to him, he cringed away from her outstretched arm.

She wasn't sure why but she felt a little more sad that he had moved away from her, but instead of dwelling on it she quickly ate the sandwich and placed the plate on her bedside table once she had finished.

Having laid down and pulled the covers back over her body and she had settled down again, Lee had lowered his legs and as she held her hand out to him, he slid to the floor and scooted up to her as he held it.

'You should go back to sleep.' He said caringly.

'You will stay right. Why can't you do what you did last night?' She asked sadly.

'Of course I'll stay. I'll stay until you sleep then I have to finish off in the bathroom and give Ino an update but I'll be back after that for you.'

Sakura closed her eyes and squeezed his hand hard but she knew it didn't hurt him at all, 'Thanks.' She said and soon darkness took her once more.

He kept the usual smile going until she finally managed to fall asleep, then he stealthily left the room and back into the bathroom. Once the door was successfully closed without a sound, he had the violent urge to kick something to take out his pent up feelings on but he didn't want to disturb her so he dropped into a squatting position and started making agitated noises. He would have screamed out loud and lashed out in frustration at himself if he could have managed it, if he was in his own room and didn't have to worry about waking Sakura or even possibly breaking her things, so it was all he could do to hopefully try and feel better.

How could he have done it again? He done it last night while she slept next to him and again right then. Why couldn't he keep his personal feelings and thoughts to himself? Why couldn't he do it for the girl he loves? Why does he keep getting turned on this frequently by her?

Yes he had to admit he did enjoy the sight of her in shorts, he did love the look of her long slender legs, and yes he did also love the bed hair she had. The overall effect, he had to admit, made her look unbelievably sexy, at least to him and that meant he couldn't control his urges. What he really needed was somebody to talk to, but he knew that there was nobody here he could talk to, everybody shunned him. Since Sakura came into his life he had become more accepted by people but not enough for something this personal. He knew he couldn't talk to Tenten, she wouldn't understand, it would have to be a guy. His thoughts strayed to his father, but for one he was far away by now and, two he doesn't know of Lee's feelings for Sakura. Surprisingly his thoughts were leading him to this Gaa-chan who had phoned earlier, he felt he could be trusted but he knew it would be slightly creepy if he phoned randomly and started talking about how his hormones were acting up.

The only explanation he had was that his hormones acted like alcohol to him, even one drop and he lost control and turned into a destructive machine. Maybe the hormones released caused him to lose control of his body, turning him into a horny freak, but why was it only Sakura who effected him so.

He quickly shook his head and stood up, he wasn't going to dump his problems onto anyone else he'd decided that he was going to deal with it himself. He quickly finished off in the bathroom and he checked on Sakura once again. She was still sleeping soundly so he felt it would be safe to pop out for a few minutes. He was only going to see if Ino was around and tell her how she was.

Luckily for him she was downstairs watching the telly and nobody else was around. He was glad for that so there would be no need for awkward explanations.

Ino looked up as she heard him come down the stairs, she knew it would have to be either Lee or Sakura as everyone else was out. When Lee turned round the corner, she looked at him sceptically.

'Good Morning.' He said politely.

'How is she?' Ino asked almost immediately afterwards without replying to Lee's statement.

'She seems utterly depressed, she loses who she is sometimes and it takes a while before she come back around and realises what happened. The actual event has obviously shaken her a lot and she can't deal with being alone, and she panics a lot when she's alone,' He said regretfully, 'I'm sorry but it seems like I'm going to have to intrude longer than we had thought. She won't let me leave her alone, even for a second,' He sighed, 'In fact I better head up there now before she wakes up and started screaming.'

Ino didn't know what to say but she seemed to be much better when Lee was around. What Lee didn't know was that she had looked in on them this morning as she had gotten up.

~Start of Flashback~

Ino yawned loudly as she closed her door. She had only just woke up and realised she had a lot to do today. Not only did she have to pack she had to say goodbye to everyone as she was going home for a week tomorrow morning before everybody was up.

She was about to head downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee before she remembered the events of yesterday and how distraught Sakura was over the loss of Sasuke. So instead of heading downstairs like she had originally planned she turned around and went to the door at the end. She quietly opened the door and poked her head in, if she was awake she would see how she was if not she would leave them alone. Also she wanted to check on Lee, if he had harmed her in anyway or an indecency she would have him removed immediately, but what she saw when she did see them both cuddled up to each other made all her rash thoughts leave.

Sakura was snuggled close to him, her forehead against his neck and her cheek placed on his chest, hand placed on his opposite shoulder, pulling herself closer to him. Lee on the other hand was tilted towards her with both arms wrapped around her and his head was surrounded by her vivid hair. Both of had a faint blush which she could still see in the dull light there was. The two of them together made all her doubts disappear. They seemed perfect for each other even though they couldn't see it for themselves or at least Sakura couldn't. It would take her some time to get over Sasuke, she knew that, after all it took Ino a while to get over him after she confessed a month ago and Sakura was there the whole time for her. She just hoped that Lee could make her happy. Even if she didn't really know him well enough, she knew that he would do nothing to make her upset if he could manage it.

She smiled at the pair and quietly closed the door again before either of them woke up. She remembered the pain which Sakura was in when he had first brought her here the night before and then looking at how peaceful she was just then, she realised that Lee was the best thing for her and she was going to support them both.

~End of Flashback~

'Lee. Wait,' Ino called before he headed back upstairs, 'Take care of her for me. You're the only one who can be there for her. Make sure she's safe and look after her.'

'Of course I will. I would have done that without you having to tell me to.' He quickly said back truthfully.

'Because you love her right?' Ino asked, she knew it to be true whether he denied it or not, but she still wanted to hear it from his own mouth.

'Yes because I... Wait, how do you know about it?' Lee asked flustered with a great blush appearing on his face.

Ino giggled a girlish laugh, 'It's obvious. The way you look at her and everything else, it all adds up. I know you love her.'

'Well of course I do. How can I not?' He asked as he fell back onto the couch and put his head in his hands, 'I hate seeing her like this, I wish there was something more what I could do, but she's so depressed she won't even get out of bed.' He said getting everything off his chest.

Ino sighed, she knew what he was going through and it wasn't pretty, she was surprised that he had managed to stay strong for this long. The only person who would be able to properly comfort him would be Sakura, but she was upstairs dealing with her own problems.

She sat next to Lee and placed her hand on his shoulder.

'The only thing you can do is be there for her when she needs you which is now. So I suggest you go upstairs and be there with her.' She said smiling, maybe after all this she may be able to get along with him.

Lee nodded and stood up, 'Thanks for that Ino.'

'No problem, I'll bring some food and drink by later for you both,' She said continuing to watch telly, Lee started heading for the stairs once again before he was stopped for the final time by Ino, 'Oh and Lee...' He turned his head as she looked back a him with a cheeky smile on her face, 'I hope you enjoyed your surprise last night with you both being tucked up under the covers.'

Lee's face glowed bright red as he realised he meant her choice in bed clothes. He didn't say anything and just turned away in embarrassment as she stomped up the stairs.

Ino smiled and took that as a yes. She just hoped that Sakura realised her feelings for him soon so she could finally be happy.

When Lee re-entered Sakura's room he saw that she was still asleep so he crawled up next to her and was content in just watching her sleep. He was leaning against the wall in which her bed was pushed against and Sakura was on the other side of the bed. They were far apart enough for Sakura to toss and turn but close enough for comfort if she woke up. However Sakura had different ideas, even though she was asleep. As Lee had settled down and was all prepared to do almost nothing all day, Sakura turned over to face him. With her turning around she had managed to close the gap between them and she snuggled up close to him.

Lee blushed brightly but then smiled. He didn't know whether it was a conscious or an unconscious movement but he appreciated the sweetness behind it. He carefully wrapped his arms around her and gently caressed her cheek.

'I'll always be here for you.' He whispered to her, he was sure he saw her smile at that but he couldn't be sure as he had slipped once again into a deep sleep.

Next time he awoken he was towered over by a menacing figure with Ino standing sheepishly in the corner with two plates of food as she had promised. Lee knew that the figure was of no threat, they were just angry and pissed off, so he sleepily rubbed his eyes and looked up.

Lady Tsunade was looking down at them through small slits in her eyes. He knew Sakura was still asleep as the heavy breathing still came from her. Lee looked at Lady Tsunade as she looked at him.

'Can you explain to me what's going on here?' She hissed to both Ino and Lee.

Ino didn't speak so Lee gave Sakura's sleeping figure a pat and he crawled out from underneath her grasp.

'Sakura hasn't let me leave all night and day,' Lee whispered as to not disturb her, 'She broke down over Sasuke leaving the school and she's been depressed since. I think I'm able to drive away the pain, at least enough to let her rest.' He explained, although it didn't seem enough for her.

'It's still not allowed for a boy to be in a girls bedroom.' Lady Tsunade almost shouted at him. The commotion of which woke Sakura.

She felt around her and couldn't feel Lee with her, she started to panic. She couldn't believe that Lee would break a promise but why wasn't he here.

'Lee-kun?' She groaned alarmed.

Lee spun around leaving behind a bewildered and angry Lady Tsunade and was by her side in a flash.

'What is it Sakura-chan?' He asked worried.

She grasped his hand and pulled herself up with it, 'You're still here...I thought you'd left me alone.'

Lee smiled and embraced her, 'I told you I'd never leave you if you didn't want me to.'

She hesitantly placed her arms around him but as she noticed everybody else in the room, she blushed and quickly dropped her arms. Lee sensed her distress and also let go.

'Sakura!' Lady Tsunade said angrily at her. 'You didn't show up for your weekly assessment, and your medical training.'

'I'm sorry Lady Tsunade, I...haven't been able to do much of anything, not since...' Sakura replied tentatively, she couldn't speak his name it was too hard for her to do.

'Not since Sasuke left?' Lady Tsunade asked.

Breath caught in the back of her throat making it go dry, tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she recalled the events of yesterday. She was too choked up she couldn't speak so she just limply nodded her head. She felt a large hand on her shoulder and when she looked up she saw Lee smiling down at her, she couldn't explain why but that smile brought a small amount of confidence back to her and she was grateful. She put her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze, she felt reassured knowing that he was there for her. She sniffed loudly and looked back at Lady Tsunade not hurting as much as she was.

'Look Sakura. He's gone, you may see him again but I doubt it. You need to move on, you're at an important point in your life and you need to focus.' Lady Tsunade scolded.

Lee didn't like the way she was talking to Sakura but deep down he knew that it was needed and it may be what she needs to pick herself back up again so he stayed silent, feeling guilty at abandoning at in her moment of need.

'You have your survival test at the end of the holidays and that will determine your future as a ninja,' Lady Tsunade said in a caring tone, 'I don't want my student to fail. I sense that the only way you will be able to see him again is if you pass this exam and become a true ninja.'

Sakura had managed to stop the tears from falling and nodded, her throat had cleared up and was able to speak again, 'I understand. You're right. I can't dwell on the past. Even if I can only move on to see him again, it's a start. Only when I start living a normal life again will I be able to get over it.'

Lee smiled, 'That's a girl.' He said proud of her. She looked at him and smiled back for the first time in what seemed forever. Lee almost felt himself melt at her smile, he had to hold onto the bedside table to stay upright. Behind the older woman Lee could see Ino smiling knowingly as she caught this movement and he felt a warmth reach his face.

'You can have the weekend off, but I expect you to be back to training on Monday. And I will be checking up on you.' She said as she stalked out the room, before she left she turned around and talked to Lee, 'Just for the record you really shouldn't be up here but considering the circumstances I'll allow it for now.' And without another word and a swish of her robe she was gone.

'Here.' Ino said holding out the food she promised, 'You must be hungry, right?' She asked as she sat down on the bed next to Sakura's feet and as Lee sat down on the desk chair and he ate.

'Thank you.' Sakura said gratefully.

'No problem.' She studied Sakura up and down, she looked like a mess and she wasn't afraid to admit it but she wasn't going to make things worse with her friend. 'You know what you need?' She asked her.

Sakura shook her head, 'No idea. What?'

'A girls night.' Ino said with a smile, 'It's only 3pm we can get a load of movies and watch them while we pig out on junk food.' She paused as Sakura thought it over, 'How about it? I go home tomorrow and I want to spend some time with my best friend before I go, hopefully make you feel better like you did for me.'

Sakura smiled widely even if she was upset she needed to put on a happy exterior for everyone to stop worrying as much, but when she was with Ino and Lee she knew that she didn't have to pretend, she did honestly feel happy.

'Okay.' She said as she started digging in her plate of chips and pizza.

Ino felt like being a bit of a matchmaker right now, 'Lee, you can join us if you want.'

Lee knowing what she was hinting at grew as red as the tomato sauce on the plate, 'I think I know the meaning of a GIRL'S NIGHT,' He said emphasising the last, 'It's not a place I would like to be.' He mock shivered. He would have loved to have stayed with Sakura but he felt that there would be some kind of personal questions flying around and he didn't want to be stuck in the middle of that. Also it may help Sakura more if she laid all her problems out to a girl rather than him, maybe she can get better sooner rather than later.

Sakura giggled at him. She was shocked that Ino had so casually invited him when she knew she didn't particularly like him, then she realised that maybe she was the reason, because of the way she's been recently maybe that triggered it. Whatever happened she was pleased for it.

'You'll come back later though won't you?' She asked slightly worried.

He ruffled her hair affectionately, 'Of course I will. Just ring me when you want, okay?'

She nodded, 'Okay.'

Lee was about out the door before he quickly turned around. 'I forgot to mention earlier. A friend rang for you earlier. He asked me to pass on this message. I hope you're okay Sakura, keep well and call me when you can.'

Sakura looked confused, 'Who was it?'

'He said his name was Gaa-chan.' Lee said pondering.

Sakura started randomly laughing then. Both Ino and Lee exchanged a significant look, they had no idea why she laughed. When she calmed down she managed to breathe. 'Oh.. He hasn't used that name in a long time.'

Lee was speechless, 'Errrr...Okay. Just ring me later. Bye.'

'See you later.' She said still smiling.

'That was Gaara wasn't it?' Ino asked

Sakura nodded, 'Yeah. It made me remember something what happened for him to earn that nickname. When we were younger, I dared him to act like a girl for the day and so I jokingly called him Gaa-chan. It sort of stuck as being my teasing nickname for him.'

Ino smiled at that. 'I could tell how that would be funny.'

'Come on bring your quilt, I'll get mine and we'll get everything sorted. You can pick out the movies and I'll get the food. Then we need to talk.' Ino said, she was serious about the last point.

Sakura looked away sadly, she knew exactly what her friend wanted to talk about. Sasuke. She knew she would have to talk about him eventually. It hurt a lot even thinking about it, but it needed to be said. She loved him and now he was gone, she was heartbroken, but as always with a broken heart there is a way to mend it and she knew that talking it through with Ino and Lee may be the key. She slowly nodded and got up.

'I'm going to get changed first, okay?' She told her in her fake happy tone, Ino knew that she was trying to cover up the hurt she was feeling by talking about the subject but at least now she was trying to hide it by pretending to be happy, that's better than just letting it consume her totally.

Ino smiled back, 'Okay, I'll be downstairs.'

Within 5 minutes Sakura was changed and looked much better than she had earlier. She wore a light pink t-shirt and a pair of dark grey leggings. She headed downstairs with a bounce in her step and saw all the food, drink and snacks which were laid out. As she was about to sit down out of the kitchen came Lee with a large bowl of popcorn.

'I thought you were going?' She asked confused still standing, he put the bowl on the table and turned to her.

'I wanted to help set up for you both before I went. Now everything is sorted I'm going. See you later Sakura-chan.' He said while standing fairly close and lifting her chin up so he could see her face. She smiled at him and averted his gaze embarrassingly.

Just at that moment Ino walked in carrying a couple of large glasses. She smiled as she saw the scene in front of her but the two leapt apart in embarrassment as she cleared her throat.

'I'll see you later Lee-kun.' She mumbled as she sat down and Lee walked towards the door.

'Yeah, bye.' He said and with it he closed the door.

Ino raised her eyebrows at Sakura which she caught, 'What?' Sakura asked.

'Nothing.' She said and placed the glasses down.

'So what films have you decided?' Ino asked after having downed a glass of pop and refilling it for another go.

Sakura sipping at hers lifted up a small pile, she managed to work it out that they would be able to get through these five before hitting the hay and going to bed.

'I have Pretty Woman, Love Actually and The Twilight Saga so far.' She said with a smile, they were some of her favourite films and had wanted to watch them again for some time.

Ino gave her a sceptical look, 'Are you sure you'll be fine with them? I mean, is it really such a good idea considering the situation?' She asked worried.

Sakura nodded, 'If I can't now then I never will. I want to get over...him.. as soon as possible.' She replied honestly.

'I guess so. We'll stick the other two on first and we'll watch Twilight last. We'll talk after these two then?' She asked, wanting to get the truth from her mouth and not Lee's.

She nodded again and started eating a small pack of sweets just for something to do.

Both girls had some laughs at the films they had put on and after two of them they were both subdued.

Sakura told her the whole story from beginning to end of how she waited until when Lee was there bringing her back here. There were plenty of tears as she recalled every memory, reliving each painful memory. Everything what was said, she said and after she had finished her story the furious look on Ino's face but have comical in any other situation.

'I swear. If I ever get my hands on him, he's dead. I mean, how could he just say those things to you? I knew he was heartless and cold at times but I didn't think to that extent.'

Sakura just sniffed loudly, her tears had stopped but Ino knew deep down that Sakura was still hurting. She scooted up closing the distance between them and gave her friend a tight hug.

'Oh sweetie. I know how it hurts. This is your first heartbreak, of course it's going to be hard, but you know, we're here for you, me and Lee. Especially Lee over this next week when I'm not here.'

'Thanks Ino. I'll be fine. It's still just a shock. It will take some time but I'll get over it. I mean as you say it is my first after all.' She placed a fake smile on her face and hugged back.

Ino was going to bring up the fact she didn't like that fake smile she's been using recently but she felt it would do more harm than good right around now.

'Maybe you should look closer to home when you feel ready to fall for someone again.' Ino said with a smile as she pulled away from the embrace.

Sakura gave her a confused look, 'What do you mean?' Did she know of Naruto's feelings for her?

'Well you and Lee are pretty close, right?' Sakura breathed a sigh of relief , _okay so she hadn't found out about that yet she thought_.

'Yeah. What about it?' She asked innocently.

'Well...How do you feel about him?' Ino said trying to prompt her into an answer.

'He's a really good friend. He protects me like he has been doing and is always there. Why?' She said not fully understanding the meaning behind the question.

Ino facepalmed, 'Seriously...? I have to spell it out to you? I mean how do you feel about him in an intimate sense? Is there something going on between the two of you I don't know?'

Sakura's face slowly grew red and she looked away from Ino's gaze, 'There's nothing going on between us, he's just a very close friend.'

Sakura saw out the corner of her eye, Ino smiled widely. 'Aha.. I knew it. You secretly luurrrrrve him.' She teased.

'I do not.' She protested.

'Then why do you keep avoiding looking directly at me? You're just denying it.' Ino carried on teasing her. She found it funny how Sakura kept on denying it when it was obvious she did, even if she didn't know it herself yet. She started lightly tickling Sakura's sides.

'No really Ino, there's nothing there for him.' She said laughing as she was actually ticklish and Ino knew this was the best way to get something out of her.

Both girls giggled softly as they tried to calm down from the excitement which Ino had brought.

'I wish you would stop doing things like that.' She said while straightening out her top which became ruffled from struggling against Ino and her almost endless assault.

'Oh stop complaining, you love it really.' She said brightly.

'That my be so but it doesn't mean you have to abuse the right so you can get what you want.' She said huffily.

Ino put her arms around the other girl and sincerely said, 'I'm sorry, it's just the way I am.'

'It's okay. I accept you the way you are I just wish you wouldn't do it, you know how bad I am when it comes to being ticklish.' She said returning the others hug.

'Let's put the next film on then and ogle at Robert Pattinson and the rest of the vamps.' Ino said pulling back on the embrace with a cheerful wink.

Sakura couldn't concentrate on Twilight at all, sure she seen bits which caught her interest but mostly her eyes glazed over and she couldn't properly see the screen because of a hazy film seemed to hinder her vision. Her thoughts were occupied with the words spoken by Ino earlier.

_How do you feel about him?_

_You secretly luurrrrrve him_

_You're just denying it_

These words kept floating through her head again and again and all she could do was dwell on them. Why was she so bothered by this? Lee was only a friend...wasn't he?

Right now with Sasuke leaving, her mind was in a mess anyway but she didn't need this problem added on top to make things even more messed up She could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on which she knew was going to be really bad. Despite all the energy she put behind trying to think about something else it was futile as she always returned to the same thoughts. Did she secretly love Lee? Or not?

Whether she did or she didn't have feelings for him behind her protests she was so preoccupied she didn't even notice the end of the film until she flinched at the sudden movement of Ino as she went to change dvds. It knocked her out of her daze momentarily as she descended back into her treacherous mind.

What were her feelings towards Sasuke? Were they true feelings or just a childish infatuation? And if they were true how can she be so sure? She had so many questions but not many answers which were what she desperately needed right now if she was going to overcome this depression. This wasn't who she was, she was a happy-go-lucky bubbly girl, she didn't usually get so worked up over something. Maybe she was so depressed over the fact she was so stupid to think he could ever like her.

Tears betrayed her true emotions as she agonised over finding answers within herself. In this moment of weakness she was distracted enough and caught the scene which was playing. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock as ironically enough it was the scene in which Edward was leaving Bella. She couldn't help but see herself as Bella and Sasuke as Edward.

At this point she managed to start paying attention, most of the story was related to her situation and maybe through it she could find some answers. Sakura observed Bella during her depressive stage near the beginning. Sakura realised that she was acting exactly like Bella, minus the screaming. She was feeling the same way which she was.

The relationship she had between herself and Lee was very similar to the one Bella and Jacob had. She also felt better when she was around Lee, that's why he was with her so much more than usual over the period of time she was feeling this way. All she knew now was that she valued their friendship more than she had ever done and she felt so grateful to him for helping her, she didn't know how she could repay him.

By the end of the film her questions were no closer to being answered but she knew that Sasuke wasn't going to come back like Edward did, and maybe she had to learn to love what was good for her, like Lee. Her face flushed up when she thought of it and started to avoid the subject. Her mind was still a mess but at least it was a bit more of an organised mess, ready to be dealt with when the time came for it.

'I'm gonna miss you Sakura.' Ino said crying.

'I'll miss you too.' She replied also crying both girls hugging each other.

Having lived in such close quarters for the past few months really did get to them when they were parting. They had grew so close to each other that they had almost became like sisters.

'Hope you enjoy yourself.' Sakura said pulling away and wiping her eyes. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry but in the heat of the moment she had forgot and once she started she couldn't stop.

'It won't be the same without you but it would be nice to see my family again. Hope you'll be better soon.'

Sakura smiled at her, 'I'll try my best, also you've helped a great deal. I realise now that I have friends here who are willing to help me through this and all I need now is a little bit of time.'

'Glad to hear it. I'll see you in a week.' She said with a final hug as she went upstairs to bed.

It was getting late and Sakura was really tired, she yawned loudly and quickly followed Ino.

The question in her head as she was getting herself ready for bed was should she ring Lee or not? Did she really want him around when she was confused enough as it is? Or did she need him to keep away the thoughts within her head?

True, he was a comfort to her to have him with her but she needed to be able to stand on her two feet. Although with him around she felt strong enough to be able to do that but she knew without him she would descend back into her bottomless pit.

She eventually decided she would ring him to come round but first she needed to talk to Gaara. Maybe having an old friend talk some sense into her would do the trick, she could only hope.

As she dialled the number she couldn't help but think about how long ago it was she talked to him, '_No wonder he rang me earlier, I've been too caught up in everything happening here to be able to think about much else_.'

He picked up on the third tone and his familiar rough voice calmed Sakura's nerves of being alone.

'Hello? Sakura?' Gaara asked quickly, he only done this when he was worried.

'Yeah it's me.' She replied solemnly.

'Are you okay?' He asked desperately.

Sakura smiled sadly, 'I will be.'

'Lee told me everything. I swear if I ever meet a Sasuke Uchiha in the future he will pay.' Sakura could imagine Gaara's eyes narrowing and she could also see the small stature of Gaara matched to the size of Sasuke in a fight but due to the fact Sasuke being a ninja she was sure Gaara would lose but he wouldn't go down without a fight.

She lightly giggled. 'Thanks for that Gaara, I really needed it.'

'Sakura. Listen to me. You are a strong person, you don't need this Sasuke around. He would only hurt you more than help. Lee sounds a decent bloke, I know he'll take care of you, so until I can see you again I entrust you into his care.' Gaara told her.

Tears filled her eyes which made her voice sound thick, 'Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me that despite the distance between us you're still here for me when I need you.'

'I told you before I'll always be here for you when you need me. I am like the brother you never had after all. Tell me if there's anything wrong next time, I almost had a rage attack when I heard a boy answer your phone.' He said with a strangely cheerful tone.

Just this tone alone was enough to make Sakura smile and laugh through the tears. Involuntary, she yawned loudly and she could feel the heaviness her body took from general exhaustion.

'You best head to bed, you sound like you need to sleep. Tell me how you are before you head to bed tomorrow.' He said in a caring tone. She knew that deep down Gaara cared, she knew that he was supporting her and with him there for her (even if only at the end of a phone) she would be over this soon. At least she hoped she would.

'Goodnight, and thanks.' She said smiling.

'No problem, as always. Goodnight.'

She hung up and put her phone on the table as she got herself changed into a more respectable choice of bedtime clothing. A tight t-shirt with a pair of baggy long-legged bottoms. She lay down in bed, thinking things over in her head. She knew that it would take some time but she could already feel herself feeling better over Sasuke. All her friends, Gaara, Ino and Lee, and even Lady Tsunade, all were worried for her well-being and knowing she had such good friends she believed was going to be the only way she could move on.

She sighed deeply, she didn't know whether she should ring Lee to come over or not. She felt like she needed to have some time on her own but she knew she would just dwell on her troubles if she did. What she needed was a good long sleep to sort her thoughts out, and as proven throughout today Lee definitely helped her sleep better.

Her insides squirmed when she thought of Lee. She still had no idea of her feelings for him, if she had any but she couldn't help but feel guilty at the fact she has so resolutely denied having feelings for him to Ino earlier. She tried to convince herself that it was because if she even showed any feelings towards him at all then Ino would constantly be taking the piss out of her.

She thought of all the times she's spent having fun with him. Mostly it involved her training which was when she realised that they didn't exactly spend any time outside of the school and away from training. She felt kind of guilty that he never had any fun around here, especially since she had started training under him. '_Sometime through the holidays I should suggest we go to the village for the day._'

Before she realised it she wasn't just thinking about their intense training but she was actually thinking about him. She saw him in his tight training gear which hugged his lithe body and his strong muscles. She saw his floppy hair bounce as he ran round the track and she saw the sweat glisten on his body like tiny jewels sparkling in the evening sun. Even then he was easy on the eyes with his intense look but when she imagined him smiling she couldn't help but melt at the sight. When she finally realised what she was doing, lying in bed eyes glazed over with a goofy grin plastered on her face, she mentally shook herself and blushed brightly.

'_Okay maybe Ino was right. Maybe I do have feelings for him after all. Whatever it is, I'll deal with it later when I didn't have so much on my mind. So possible hidden feelings, gone.'_ She blabbered in her mind. When she looked at the clock she realised she had been daydreaming for the past half an hour, no wonder she felt so rough.

Grabbing her phone she scrolled through her contacts until she reached Lee's name. She was about to hit the call button as she was hit with a sudden wave of nervousness. She had never felt this around Lee before. Now she didn't want to phone him, she was worried about how her voice would sound and she knew that hearing his voice so soon after that would cause her to become all flustered and that certainly was not a good image to her.

Instead she quickly sent him a text to come, put her phone back on her table and then turned over pulling the covers over her. She knew that sleep was bound to come soon as she felt the heavy blackness surround her known as fatigue.

Within minutes Lee was outside her door once more, he felt slightly nervous as he uselessly stood outside. He knocked lightly and when he heard no answer he carefully poked his head in, ready to immediately pull out if she was busy. When he looked he saw that the main light was on but he could hear the deep breathing which came from Sakura as she slept.

He smiled as he fully entered the room and quietly closed the door. She looked so sweet while sleeping, like a fragile antique doll. He gently took her hand in his and held it as he sat down beside her. He tentatively lifted her hand to his face and gently brushed his lips on the back.

'You fell asleep too early, I didn't get time to say goodnight, but I can't complain you need it after all.'

**Well i hope i did this chapter well enough, i know it was fairly rushed through but that's because i can't really afford for it to be a long lasting thing, there may be more relapses but hopefully not as bad, can't wait for next chapter so excited for it i ended up putting a vote to my friends as to where it should go because i got to a point it could go either way but ill let you see in two weeks or so. As always please review i love each and everyone i receive and it always puts a smile on my face to know someone likes my story. Sayonara x**


	14. Chapter 14:Drive

**Hey guys first thing is i need to apologise, i haven't been able to write much these two weeks so unfortunatly this chapter isn't as long as i would like as i had to cut the contents of this chapter into two parts so this is part one, next part will be uploaded next week. Having made a timetable for me weekly i have managed to have around 18 hrs of writing a week and around 11 hours of gaming so i have time for everything except anime but i guess if i get writing done within those 18 hours ill have enough time to watch anime ne?**

**Well either way today is Kakashi-sensei's birthday so i had to upload today. Anyways can't really say much as I have to go to bed soon for college tomorrow, why we have to go snooping around an apartment to collect evidence i do not know, the college made the apartment in one of the rooms, so no need to worry about actually going into a proper persons apartment LOL xD**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto, i also don't own Blink 182 but i would love it if i did

The light which entered through the thin curtains cast a soft glow around the room. It was the first thing Sakura saw as she awoke from her deep slumber, the pale pink which illuminated the walls around her. She groaned as she felt stiffness in her shoulders and realised she must have slept wrong. But as she was about to stretch and try and work out the kinks she felt a warm and rough shape in her hand. She was still half asleep so she couldn't figure out what is was by touch so she turned her head so she could see it and rubbed her eyes to clear her vision.

There, slumped over with his head laid on top of his arm on her bed side table, was Lee. She looked down and noticed his hand was pressed to hers. He lightly gripped her as he was still asleep and if she wanted, Sakura could have easily slid her hand out from under him, but instead she pushed herself up with her free hand and leaned against the beds headboard. She now had a much better view of him and she was much more comfortable.

He breathed deeply as he slept, his mouth was hanging open by a small fraction and his lips were turned up into a small and sweet smile. His hair stuck up in odd places as he shuffled through the night. Upon looking at his sleeping form she couldn't help but think about how calm she felt when she was around him, even when he's asleep it's the same feeling as when he's awake. While watching him sleep she realised how adorable he was, not that he wasn't adorable any other time but more so as he slept. She knew that she was trying to deny any feelings for him but she started to wonder what it would be like if they were together.

'_NO! I won't think about that right now, not when I'm trying to get better I don't want to confuse myself more._' She thought loudly in her head but the feelings she had overcame that rational thought and she started blushing furiously. She realised how intimate the scene here actually was but she still didn't move.

'_Okay. Maybe I do like him after all but that still don't mean he feels anything for me. I don't want another scene like before to replay again, not when I'm finally starting to get better._'

She sighed deeply; she didn't know what was for the best. She knew that there was a distinct possibility that she had feelings for him but was her heart ready for another person to enter her life?

'_But Lee isn't somebody new, he's been there from the start._'

Even still he would become something more and she wouldn't be able to handle it she knew this from her rational side, but even still she couldn't separate her heart from her head.

She could feel herself literally tearing apart because she didn't know what to do. She couldn't help but worry over it even though she knew it wouldn't do her much good.

She reached out towards him with her spare hand hoping that his touch would calm her down. She gently placed her hand upon his head and stroked his hair with a soft soothing motion. As she caressed his hair she subconsciously smiled and sighed with content.

After a while Sakura stopped and moved her hand away as he moved in his sleep and she didn't want to disturb him anymore. He moaned her name in his sleep after he had got himself comfy and he squeezed her hand.

She couldn't help but wonder what he was dreaming about, but by him saying her name just then it made it kinda of obvious that he was thinking of her. 'Lee-kun' she sighed as she imagined the type of dream he may have been dreaming of. She blushed at the thought and pulled the covers up around her face to cover her embarrassment in case he woke up. However luck was on her side and he didn't stir. She breathed a sigh of relief and slowly got out of bed, picked up some clothes and headed to the bathroom to have a shower.

Before she left him completely she looked back upon his sleeping form and almost laughed at herself at her stupidity except instead she settled for a smile.

'_Of course I'm just being silly. He can't have feelings for me. He's too innocent and naive to think of me in that way._' She thought while she placed a blanket around him as he shivered and then opened the door and closed it behind her silently.

While she let the hot water run over her petite naked figure, she couldn't help but think that no matter what she decides it was going to be the wrong choice, and as much as she tried to convince herself that she wasn't bothered by it a few traitorous tears silently escaped.

At first Lee could only feel the warmth around him as his senses returned. He was confused by this as he remembered that he had slept on Sakura's chair and not her bed. Lee's hand probed around for Sakura's body but he could feel nothing and started to panic. He shot up and didn't see her there but he felt something slip from around his shoulders, he turned to pick it up and seen it was the blanket from the end of her bed.

He smiled and realised that wherever she had gone she had thought about him beforehand. There was silence in the room and just when he thought she must be downstairs the door to the bathroom opened and Sakura came in. She was wearing a pair of casual dark-grey leggings, a light pink top and a pink and grey largely striped woollen jumper which reached above her knees. It didn't look much but to Lee she looked like a supermodel and he liked it.

They both awkwardly stared at each other briefly before they both looked away and blushed. Sakura was the one to break the silence.

'Good morning Lee-kun.' She spoke quietly and then softly giggled as she looked at him.

Lee gave a puzzled look and wondered what was so funny; he reached up and started scratching his head.

'Good morning.' He said as he felt something strange on his head. As he probed around a little he realised that his hair was sticking up on one side of his head like a very bad haircut and smiled as he tried to tame it into a more respectable style. 'You're up early.' He commented as she sat down on her bed.

She smiled and simply replied, 'I woke up and couldn't sleep so I went and got a shower.'

'Are you okay?' He asked concerned, particularly about her waking up, he thought it could possibly be from a bad dream but she didn't want him to worry so she didn't give details why.

She nodded, 'Never been better thanks to you.' Once she realised what she had said she hung her head hiding her red face.

'Pardon?' Lee questioned, he wasn't sure if he heard her right.

'Well, I mean, you, Ino and Lady Tsunade,' She said flustered, 'You've all helped me feel better, so thank you. If you all didn't help me then I would still be moping around and probably leaving to go after him like a crazy stalker. You've shown me that there is more than meets the eye to him and that he isn't worth worrying over, there are better possibilities than him around.' She started crying as she was speaking and most of her words became gibberish but somehow Lee understood it all.

He sat next to her and took her within his arms; she leaned against him and wept into his chest.

'If it weren't for you I think I would still be at the mercy of my father and even though I put up a brave front, I think I was close to breaking point. I owe you for a lot of things but don't think that was the reason why I was here for you. I did it because I don't want to see you the way you were, for anybody it was heart-breaking and you were the person i least want for them to feel this way. I'll always be here for you even if you don't want it.' He held her for a bit longer while he felt her calm down until he could sense her pull away, she nuzzled his neck before she pulled back.

She dried her eyes and said, 'Thanks for being here.'

He smiled and pushed a lock of her hair away, 'Any time.'

'So what's the plan today then? Are we training?' Sakura asked cheerily with the glistening of her tears fresh on her cheeks.

He shook his head slowly as Sakura gave him a puzzled look, 'No today we are going for a drive and then back to it tomorrow.'

'Are you sure we should?'

'You need at least another day and we may as well have fun.'

'Where do you have in mind?' She questioned, the she had a sudden thought, I never knew he had a car.

'It's a surprise,' He said with a wink, 'but I promise you will love it.' He gave a thumbs up and grinned widely.

Sakura blushed and smiled cutely. Lee loved that smiled, it was like a drug to him, he couldn't get enough if it but when he did he savoured every minute of it. Although he had to control himself enough to stop himself from giving her a kiss, he let the feeling she gave him wash over him. He usually kept it pent up inside as a gentleman would but every now and then it rose to the surface and could no longer be contained.

He took her hand and her heart leapt wildly and she couldn't help but feel flustered but it was a nice feeling, she enjoyed being with him even when it was kind of awkward because of the newly found feelings, she wanted to stay with him all the time but it would seem creepy to do that. She struggled against her desire to move closer to him and listen to his strong steady heartbeat and compare to her frail palpitating one.

Almost as if he could sense it he let go and stood up leaving her alone on the bed, she couldn't help but feel a bit sad and rejected even if she hadn't done anything.

'I'll meet you at the reception entrance in 10 minutes. Is that okay with you?' He asked not looking at her.

Sakura nodded even though he wasn't looking in her direction and done it out of habit. She put on a brave face and made her voice as steady as she could, 'Okay, see you there.' And she heard the soft click of the door.

Once in his room, Lee literally clicked onto high-speed there were many things he needed to do before he went and he only had a few minutes to do it. He was elated that he and Sakura were going somewhere out of the village, he had been dying to take her to that place for months but didn't know how to ask her. It would be the perfect scenery for her to get over Sasuke, and it would be secluded so they could be in private his mind added but he forced them away. He wasn't going to take advantage of the situation it was for her benefit, not his. To him she was his happiness and if she wasn't happy then he wasn't and he needed to focus on her needs rather than his petty wants.

He managed to get himself changed into a pair of black jeans and a thin long sleeved top and his large jacket as he ran out the door patting down his damp hair. He grabbed his car keys before hand and he rushed to the car park. He opened the door and sat down. It was one of the first times he had actually drove it. Yeah he did do the odd trip in the holidays but only when I family member was with him. He felt like he was now setting out on his own and it kind of scared him, even more so since it was snowing. He shook his head and then got the car in gear and pulled off to the entrance, he hoped he was doing the right thing, he hoped he could control himself.

She had never knew he had a car before as he always walked everywhere, so to her she felt nervous to be waiting for him in the freshly laid snow, it must have snowed while she was holed up in her room, she thought. Luckily for her she had picked out a thick grey jacket to go over her clothes and a pair of warm but waterproof boots which covered most of her shins. She wore a woollen hat which she had pulled tight over her head as a chilling wind came raging. It passed quickly and left her with a shiver. She started to doubt her judgement in following Lee's plan when a car turned the corner and started down the road. The sleek black shell with green panels seemed to glide over the thin layer of snow as it was so low. As the car neared she noticed the familiar character sitting in the drivers seat, Lee seemed to stand out against the black leather interior. His thick green jacket hung over the back of the chair, she wondered why it wasn't in the back seat until she realised that it was a two-seater sports car.

It came to a complete stop just in front of her and with a smile and a touch of a button inside from inside the car, Lee opened the door and it smoothly slid open. Sakura couldn't help but stare until Lee spoke.

'Are you getting in it's kind of cold?' Lee said making a gesture to the seat in which a few flakes of snow landed on. She slid in and the door closed silently as the engine purred.

She looked around as she felt herself getting really warm from the heaters and the seat warmers. So she took her jacket off and followed Lee and put it against her chair.

'So this is your car huh?' She said awestruck, it was beautiful, classy and high-tech all in one, she never knew that could happen let alone Lee have such a car.

He nodded and then set off driving. 'Yes, my father got me it for my 17th birthday last year.' He was being very cautious of the roads with the snow and he didn't want to do anything to endanger the petite girl next to him.

'What kind of car is it?' She asked simply, she wasn't up to speed with cars, was never interested in them so she didn't try and appear as if she knew.

'A Bugatti Veyron.' She said as he pulled out of the school and into the village.

'And is that expensive?' She asked curiously.

They had just came to a a junction and the light was red and so he stopped, he looked over at her briefly soaking up her image to him, 'Very.' He smiled.

As he turned onto the motorway and saw it was clear he smirked and said, 'Of course it's expensive. It's the fastest car in production of course it's going to cost a lot of money.' And he put his foot down on the accelerator.

They pulled off into a service station along the way and ordered some breakfast as they hadn't had anything earlier. Once they had sat down Sakura gave Lee a dirty look.

'You better not do that again Lee-kun.' She said as colour returned to her pale face in the form of an angry flush.

Lee hung his head, 'Sorry, I just wanted to impress you.' he replied honestly as he reached for his coffee.

Sakura bit her tongue out of shock but she forced back the pain and tears, 'You already impressed my with the car you didn't have to go hurtling down the road as fast as you could to do that.'

'I stayed within the speed limit so you have to give me some credit.' She said with a cheeky grin.

'That may be true but even still don't go so fast next time.'

'I won't do it again but it was worth it for your face and scream in excitement.'

Sakura was speechless. Okay yeah she did like the speed, it felt good and she had a blast but she didn't want him to put himself in danger by driving at those speeds. She didn't want to have to worry about him whenever he goes in the car but after that display she knew that she would.

She reached over the table and placed her hands on his and gripped them tightly. 'I just worry is all. I don't want you to endanger yourself over me, I'm not worth it.'

Lee looked into her sad eyes and saw that she believed this to be true, 'Of course you're worth it. I would do anything to protect you, you mean a lot to me and well...' He trailed off, he was going to finish by saying I'd give my life for you but he knew that wasn't what today was about. It was about helping Sakura feel better and not about him getting closer to her and letting her know his feelings, even if today could technically be called a date. He gulped loudly from nerves but luckily Sakura never heard or saw it.

'It's nice to hear you say that Lee-kun.' She said sadly but smiling through her pain. She knew that Lee did care for her but she didn't know whether it was in the same way she did or just as a close friend. She couldn't tell for sure and she knew she wasn't ready to find out and act on it at all. So until she did feel ready she would just sit back and enjoy the feeling.

They talked for a while, both holding each others hands across the table not being able to stop it but being fully aware of the warmth each others hands brought to their own. Sakura finished her meal as Lee only barely picked at his meal, she didn't particularly like that but she didn't want to say something to spoil the time they had together alone. They enjoyed each other company for a bit longer before they went back to the car and started off again, Lee taking more care than he did before but still going at a reasonable speed to get to their destination quicker. No matter how much she questioned, Lee still never told her anything. She was starting to get frustrated when Lee asked if she wanted to have the radio on. She wasn't so bothered but soon a song came on the radio which made her stop and listen.

In the car I just can't wait

to pick you up on our very first date

Is it cool if I hold your hand?

Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance?

Do you like my stupid hair?

Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear?

I'm just scared of what you think

You make me nervous so I really can't eat

Let's go, don't wait, this night's almost over

Honest, let's make this night last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

When you smile, I melt inside

I'm not worthy for a minute of your time

I really wish it was only me and you

I'm jealous of everybody in the room

Please don't look at me with those eyes

Please don't hint that you're capable of lies

I dread the thought of our very first kiss

A target that i'm probably gonna miss

Let's go,don't wait, this night's almost over

Honest, let's make this night last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Let's go, don't wait, this night's almost over

Honest, let's make, this night last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

It was Blink 182. She was a fan of them and recognised it instantly but as she listened to it she soon realised which song it was and what it meant. As the song played she soon realised the nervous twitches Lee sometimes were unusually frequent today and over the time since they met until she had realised that it occurred when he was particularly nervous about something. He looked at her as she was looking at him and the direct eye contact forced the both to blush and look away. She was the first to look back as Lee still had to keep his eyes on the road but she could tell that his face was very warm. Also by looking directly at his face she had realised he had actually gelled his hair so it was still in the bowl-cut shape but was a bit more messy than usual, which she loved since the time he woke up one morning with his hair that way.

The whole song just embarrassed her but she noticed that the song was very relevant. Was this a date? Did Lee want to ask me properly but decided to use this as an excuse to do so without exactly saying it.

She became confused but also happy, however he saw her it was obvious that this was a date after all, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. She rested her head against the window next to her staring at the land in which she saw as she was brought to what she now believed to be the best thing for her.

**So that's it until next friday look forward to uploading then, can't wait for it. As usual please review as i need to know how it went.**

**As a quick note i just remembered why i have to go collecting evidence, i chose a Forensic Science course and thats one of the topics, baka!**


	15. Chapter 15:Date

In the car I just can't wait

to pick you up on our very first date

Is it cool if I hold your hand?

Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance?

Do you like my stupid hair?

Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear?

I'm just scared of what you think

You make me nervous so I really can't eat

Let's go, don't wait, this night's almost over

Honest, let's make this night last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

When you smile, I melt inside

I'm not worthy for a minute of your time

I really wish it was only me and you

I'm jealous of everybody in the room

Please don't look at me with those eyes

Please don't hint that you're capable of lies

I dread the thought of our very first kiss

A target that i'm probably gonna miss

Let's go,don't wait, this night's almost over

Honest, let's make this night last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Let's go, don't wait, this night's almost over

Honest, let's make, this night last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

Forever and ever, let's make this last forever

It was Blink 182. She was a fan of them and recognised it instantly but as she listened to it she soon realised which song it was and what it meant. As the song played she soon realised the nervous twitches Lee had sometimes were unusually frequent today and over the time since they met until she had realised that it occurred when he was particularly nervous about something. He looked at her as she was looking at him and the direct eye contact forced the both to blush and look away. She was the first to look back as Lee still had to keep his eyes on the road but she could tell that his face was very warm. Also by looking directly at his face she had realised he had actually gelled his hair so it was still in the bowl-cut shape but was a bit more messy than usual, which she loved since the time he woke up one morning with his hair that way.

The whole song just embarrassed her but she noticed that the song was very relevant. Was this a date? Did Lee want to ask me properly but decided to use this as an excuse to do so without exactly saying it.

She became confused but also happy, however he saw her it was obvious that this was a date after all, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. She rested her head against the window next to her staring at the land in which she saw as she was brought to what she now believed to be the best thing for her.

Lee could feel her eyes boring into him but he daren't look back at her, their slightly awkward meeting of eyes was shameful enough. He knew he was glowing bright red but he tried to stop thinking about it and focused on the road and he could feel the flush fade. He snuck a quick glance in her direction after a few minutes and found she was staring out the window to the white blanketed surroundings. She face looked so sad as she watched the trees fly by, Lee deduced she must thinking about home, how different it was and how much she missed it. He had never felt it himself so he had no idea how it felt but he could imagine it was terrible pain which no amount of ointments could heal as with physical wounds. He struggled to refrain from placing his hand on her lap for her to hold but his instinct took over and he reached over.

She flinched at first as he was very silent but as her head turned he could see that her eyes were damp with tears which threatened to overflow. He couldn't help but feel a sudden pain in his chest as he saw those tears. He couldn't help but wonder why she was crying but as to not worry her more, he looked back at the road all while keeping his hand with her. He could feel her grip his hand with both of hers. She was sniffling loudly trying unsuccessfully to stop the tears from falling but it was futile as they sped past her defences.

They had just reached their destination a few seconds later as Lee pulled into a driveway on the side of the road. He quickly got out and raced around to the other side of the car and opened her door.

'Are you okay?' He asked worried and without saying anything she threw her arms around his neck as he had bent down to her level. She couldn't do anything but cry into his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help but feel happy in some way at the closeness they shared. He could feel his heart sinking into sadness after the brief happiness at how lost she sounded as she cried. Lee could tell that plenty of times she tried to speak to him but the sobs won and she couldn't make a sound other than the un-natural howling she did.

He stayed there as she cried and cried until finally the tears stopped and all what came next were short sobs. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned handkerchief, he had a feeling that morning that he would need it and now here was the proof, and he handed it to her as he pulled away from the embrace. All she could do was look at it and through the sobs she gave a small giggle. She found it oddly amusing that he even had the old handkerchiefs, more proof to support her gentleman theory. She was about to reach for it but before she had he managed to even make a move, Lee pulled it out of her reach and started drying her eyes himself with a sad and serious look on his face. She was grateful for it and she shivered slightly from the gentleness of his touch.

Sakura found it amazing that even during her grief from leaving home and not seeing her family and friends from Suna that Lee could still make her smile and feel like there was nothing wrong in the world, especially when she knew that she had a lot to worry about. Her family was coming up in two weeks to spend Christmas with her and there was also her survival training with Lee after that.

But most of all she missed Gaara. She wished he was here with her just like Lee was. She couldn't help but miss Gaara more than her family, because she knew that he would accept her for who she is whereas her parents would have a fit if they found out, try and make her quit being a ninja and to lead a normal life. They'd pull her out of the Academy and put her in a normal boring school, a school without Lee. This upset her greatly as she knew she couldn't stop training during the week they were here but they couldn't find out either. She had a dilemma and she couldn't solve it on her own.

She coughed through the tears and once they were all wiped away she took a deep breath. 'Lee, we need to talk about something.'

He could have sworn his heart skipped a beat once she had spoken, he didn't want to appear anxious but maybe they were going to talk about their relationship and if it was going anywhere.

'What is it?' He asked as he sat next to her on the large seat.

'Well, my parents are going to be here in two weeks but we have to keep training for the next three weeks for our survival training. What am I going to tell my parents?' She said in a shaky tone.

'What do you mean?' He asked confused, not understanding what she was saying.

'I mean you don't have this problem do you? You're whole family, or at least Gai-sensei and Tenten, are ninjas. They know this life and you grew up in it, but me...I've only just got here. How can I keep my parents from finding out the truth?'

Lee smiled widely. 'Is this what you are worrying about?'

She nodded slightly grumpy at him smiling at her tragic expense.

'I have the perfect excuse for that, I was going to tell you this tomorrow.'

She waited patiently for him to explain but when he never did she piped up, 'So are you ever going to tell me?' and folded her arms and glared at him.

He stood up and held his hand out to her. He winked and said in a cheeky tone, 'Well you just going to have to wait until tomorrow then.'

She sighed deeply. She didn't believe he had an answer just then but he wanted to make her feel better so he started teasing. Well whether he's telling the truth or not she knew he would have an answer by tomorrow so she could stop worrying about it. At least it would work in theory and she hoped it did. She felt guilty when it came to her parents not being involved in her life. Instead of dwelling on it she unfolded her arms and took his hand.

He smiled and kept a hold on her hand as she pulled herself up.

'Try not to worry so much about things. You're much better when you are yourself.' He said as with his free hand he stroked her cheek gently. At the point of contact between them it felt like her skin was on fire and she couldn't help but melt into his hand. But as soon as she did he mistook the gesture and immediately removed it leaving her feeling cold and exposed to the elements, and not just physically.

'We should get going.' He said as he closed the car door and lead her towards a small footpath that she hadn't noticed before. She still felt at least grateful that he still held onto her hand and she tightly gripped it but she couldn't help but feel like she had been rejected just then.

To save time they had both decided that they were going to whizz through the trees using there chakra, propelling themselves forward on the branches, to avoid having to traverse through the rough terrain. Lee had the backpack on which didn't seem to hinder him even with the heavy weight. Soon they reached a small clearing amongst the pine trees where met in a tumble of froth and white water, Lee cast his eyes around and noticed the occasional green needles that protruded through a jacket of fluffy white snow. He knew this was the perfect place to spend time with the girl he loved. He hoped that these surroundings would help her overcome the grief that had been gnawing at her for the past few days. Of course, the reason for this trip wasn't for his own personal benefit it was all for her. He couldn't stand to watch her being so depressed all the time, if it was driving him mad then he couldn't imagine what it was doing to her, it must be unbearable since it was close to it on his side of this ordeal.

He nodded as if confirming something to himself. 'Here it is. This is where I go when I want to be away from the Academy.'

Sakura couldn't help but feel breathless as she looked around at the environment she was in. After all coming form Suna, snow was amazing enough as it was but the sight of the snow against the green of the trees around and at how light the clearing was breathtaking.

She smiled and couldn't help but feel at peace here. The sun broke through the thick white clouds and left everything sparkling like diamonds. Without her realising she had started to walk into the glade.

'Do you like it?' Lee asked, he could tell from the longing expression on her face that she did but he wanted to hear her true feelings.

She turned around and he swore he could see the sparkle in her eyes shining brightly, 'Oh Lee-kun, this is just...im lost for words, it's the most beautiful thing i've ever seen.' she said heartily.

He sauntered over to her side and took her hand in his, it took her by surprise but she wasn't displeased by the act, in fact quiet the opposite. But when she looked from their hands to his face her bright smile reached a rather cold face void of joy. Her expression fell from her face as she saw him, the one who she knew she couldn't do without, looking that way.

'L-lee-kun? Are you alright?' She asked concerned.

His guilt dragged his gaze down as he heavily told Sakura that he needed to talk with her though he could hardly bear to tell her as it would wipe that look of joy and hope off her face.

He lead her to the base of a large tree where there was less snow and sat down. He sat cross-legged opposite her as she sat with her knees tucked beneath her.

'I don't know how to start so i'm just going to come out with it.' He said as he sighed deeply, he looked her in the eye and continued, 'Just give up on Sasuke...please.' He pleaded with her, eyes filled with emotion.

Sakura was taken a-back and briefly couldn't speak but regained composure and softly spoke, 'You say it like it's easy.' averting her gaze.

'I know it isn't easy but for god's sake Sakura, look at yourself,' He said getting louder, the lack of a honorific caught her attention, he never spoke to her in that way before, 'You aren't yourself anymore. I feel like you're a different person now.'

'I don't see how it's got anything to do with you.' She said angrily.

'It has everything to do with me, you're destroying yourself and I can't sit back and watch you do this.'

'Do you have any idea what it's like, watching the one you love leave you standing there!' She shouted at him, as much as she knew she loved him, she still couldn't handle him talking as he did about Sasuke.

Lee's eyes filled with tears, 'I have a good idea how it feels.'

She calmed down quickly and spoke as if embarrassed, 'Lee-kun, what are you talking about?'

He cupped a hand around her left cheek, and smiled as the tears flowed, 'It's happening right now. You, the Sakura-chan I came to know is going. She wouldn't shout like that and she also wouldn't stay so sad about something like this.'

'I-i don't understand.' She looked puzzled, unable to comprehend his words.

He smiled, and realised he could only show her in one way. Hand still on her face he guided her face toward him and leant forward. Giving her time to back away he made the final push and his lips locked with hers. It was gentle and sweet as he felt, rather than heard, a sudden gasp against his lips. Her expression showed one of shock but also one of happiness. She closed her eyes and melted into the kiss, hand woven within his hair.

They pulled back for a gulp of air and as they did, Lee spoke, 'Sakura-chan, I love you. I love you so much it's unbelievable.' He placed his forehead against hers as his face grew red from the heat of the moment.

'I-i don't know if I'm ready for anything but I want you to know that...well, I love you too.' She said blushing but smiling.

He stroked her hair and pulled her into a hug, 'I'm willing to wait an eternity if that's what it costs to have you by my side.'

She tightly clung back and placed her head in the crook of his neck. Lee felt like he was on top of the world but for Sakura she couldn't help but shaking, she was crying. Lee felt the wetness and knew something was up, he pulled back and looked at her face.

'Sakura-chan? What's wrong?' He lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

'I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you, I feel so guilty.' She tried wiping her tears but more came in their stead.

Lee lightly pecked her on the nose, 'I was being a bit unreasonable, it's entirely my fault.'

She laughed once through her tears and couldn't help but smile at him, 'That's exactly why I like you, you're too understanding.'

'And you constantly speak your mind, and for that I can't do without you.'

Wiping her eyes, she leant against him letting his warmth seep in and chasing away the chill which surrounded them. She felt so safe around him but she had no idea why she couldn't allow herself to be with him, however she knew that it wouldn't hurt to stay like this for one day. At least Sakura now knew Lee's feelings and as he said he would wait forever for her, she just hoped that she would be able to get over this heartache soon.

She smiled as the words which were spoke before went through her mind. They were just cuddled up in silence leaning against the tree and listening to the trickle of the water as it went gently on its way down the stream.

'Lee-kun?' She looked up to see his face to see that he had his eyes closed and had a look of content.

'Hmm?' He opened his eyes softly.

'Thank you. Not just for today but for everything, being there when I need you and even when I don't. I know now that you've always been there and Sasuke hasn't, I'm sure I'll be able to get better knowing the truth about your feelings.' She admitted smiling sweetly, blushing as she did.

'You know the way I am. I would have been there even if I didn't love you, but pretty much since I met you I have.' He said looking away complacent, as if remembering a time long since passed.

After some time had passed Lee heard some rather odd sniffling noises, and when he looked down at Sakura he has realised she had fell asleep. He smiled as he brushed a few stray strands of her hair from he face and gently squeezed her hand.

She didn't stir. He believed that she must have been really tired to fall asleep so deeply and so quickly. She must have gotten a lot of pent up feelings out earlier so he let her rest. Instead of disturbing her he decided to lift her so he could place the bag on her back and he give her a piggy-back ride, but before he did he took his jacket off and wrapped it around her. He felt so pleased to feel her petite form against his broad back, he was supremely happy to know that they felt exactly the same.

Night fell as he was heading back to the car and so he had to slow his speed considerably, he didn't want to risk hurting her. It took much longer to return to the car than it did to get there but he enjoyed the peace it brought as he ran through the trees with the comfort of Sakura on his back, even though she was asleep, he still felt she was with him.

_Heat! Intense heat all around. Her eyes were closed but she could feel her body burning and aching. She winced in pain and squinted to see flames licking at her skin, threatening to go into her mouth and burn her from the inside out. She didnt scream, she couldn't. She tried to raise her hands to protect her face but she couldn't, her hands were bound by what appears to be a stake. But she didn't have time to observe, she had to get out but how?_

_A deep sobbing came from above and she looked up to see a figure perched on the top like a bird. Some of the smoke cleared and she could see the raven haired bowl-cut boy hunched over and was crying into his hands. There were black marks that covered his body, they seemed to ooze from his skin and fell to the floor. He heard the rustling below him and moved his hands away to show his large sad eyes filled with the black ooze. And then he spoke._

_'How could you chose him over me? How could you chose the one that left you to fend for yourself rather than me who has been there from the start? How?' He sobbed uncharacteristically and placed his head back in his hands. His tears came in faster bursts and though the flames around her were excrutiating to resist, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the boy. The black ooze escaped from a small gap in his hands and fell from his hands, except he didn't have hands anymore, there was only bone. It was acid and it had burned through his skin easily._

_As it fell it landed on her skin, near the top of her chest. The growing flames were nothing compared to this. A ear-piercing scream was ripped from her mouth and left ringing in the smoke-filled air. Tears._

She violently shook and awoke within Lee's arms. His worried expression was etched into his face. Salty tears drew tracks on her face as the nightmare she had just had felt so real that she could still feel herself in pain.

'Sakura-chan? What happened? Bad Dream?'

But instead of replying she hungrily pressed her lips against his, feeling the need to show him how much she does care and how much she wants him even though she wasn't ready for anything just yet. It got the desired effect as he placed her on the nearby couch and returned her kiss, not as deperately but still with the same passion behind it. He was more cautious as he understood how she felt about the two of them at the moment but she needed him and he was going to be there for her. However he didn't have time for thinking as such thoughts were being overtaken by the moment. Before it became too heated she pulled back, tears still falling but not at the same intensity.

'I love you Lee-kun,' She choked out, 'I just can't handle being with someone at the minute.'

He passed her a tissue and she blew her nose.

'I know Sakura-chan, I know why you can't but I know you want to,' He placed his hand on her damp cheek, 'You loved him, I may not be able to comprehend how much but if it's similar to how I feel about you then it will take a long time to get over. I know that I wouldn't be able to let you go so easily. I will wait as long as it takes for you to feel like you can. That's how much I love you.' He knew he probably shouldn't but he couldn't resist emphasising her point by kissing her sweet lips. She managed to choke back tears and nod.

Looking around the room she noticed that she was back in her dorm.

'I-i better head to bed. It's getting late.'

Lee nodded and stopped stroking her arm and held his hand to pull her up.

'Goodnight Sakura-chan. Are you going to be okay?' He said.

'I'll be fine, also I don't think Lady Tsunade will appricate you being there. I'll see you bright and early.'

'And I'll be waiting here for you.' He smiled greatly and watched as she headed to the stairs.

She smiled cheekily, 'I hope you realise, Lee-kun, that tomorrow won't be like today and it won't until I feel ready.'

'I understand, text me if you need me even a little through night.'

She nodded and went up the stairs. He stayed until her heard the soft click confirming she was soundly in her room then left just as quietly.


	16. Chapter 16:Awkward

She shot up quickly and looked around before she realised where she was. She was back in her own room and alone. She had gotten used to the idea that Lee stayed with her on a night over the past few days that it felt scary when he wasn't here. But she was going to have to get used to the new set of circumstances pretty quick. She would try playing music as she sleeps so she hopefully she didn't feel so alone. Sakura thought that it was probably the reason she could hardly stand it, was that she didn't want to feel alone (not that Lee made her feel alone, she meant physically).

Sakura looked at the time and saw that there was no point in going back to bed as she would soon be getting up. She turned on her back and looked up at her growing ever lighter ceiling and thought about the events from the previous day. She couldn't help but 'squee' in delight. Lee was everything she hoped for and more but because of her recent heartache (which she found amazing was only a few days ago, all the more thanks to the one she loved) she couldn't fully accept him into her life and whenever she came close to it she got a bad feeling in her gut, making her feel instantly guilty. As much as she told herself that Sasuke left without any regret and guilt at abandoning her, her heart wouldn't listen. Her heart hurt at the thoughts of Sasuke, especially making her like this, alive on the outside but dead within.

Her heart started thumping as she thought about having to get up and go to training, with none other than Lee himself. She knew that today was going to be awkward, due to them knowing each others feelings but unable to act upon them, and she also knew that it was going to be her who makes things awkward. She sighed deeply and got up, she was starting to stress already and she had only been awake for 30 minutes. The feelings of a headache came, hard. After taking some pills, she decided to have a shower to hopefully wash some of the stress away.

'Damn, does that feel better.' She said to herself as she finally pulled her pink legwarmers on, she was fully changed into her ninja uniform and putting the final touches of her leg weights on when she felt her belly rumble. A scent caught her attention as she could smell the grilling of bacon waft up the stairs. She smiled, knowing full well that it was Lee cooking her breakfast. It was really sweet of him, and she hated having to hurt him by making him wait but she was pleased that he understood she needed time.

Resigning herself she opened the door and headed downstairs.

She appeared in the doorway of the kitchen just as Lee was dishing up the bacon onto bread. Sakura stood there staring at him with a goofy smile on her face. God, how much she loved him, how much she wanted to put her arms around his waist and cuddle against his broad back. Without her realising, Lee had turned around and noticed her there, staring at him, vacantly.

'Sakura-chan? Good morning.' He said questionly as she snapped out of her daze and looked away in embarrassment of being caught staring.

'G-good morning, Lee-kun.' She said simply and blushed.

Silence befell them as they were both lost in thought at what could be.

'I made you breakfast.' He gave her one of the plates as she nodded her thanks.

They ate while sitting on the couch but they were at opposite ends, with a cushion between the tow of them. They had never felt so far apart for a long time, they had always been close and now they were treating each other like strangers. This hurt Sakura more than she thought it would. She knew that they weren't going to be as close because of previous events but she wasn't prepared for the blank look he had on his face. There was no emotion, what the hell had happened with him.

He could feel her eyes on him, he dare not look because if he did she would break all the defences he put up to protect her from his feelings while she got herself together again. He didn't think about how he may be pushing her away or how he may not be helping her situation at all.

Returning to his poilte extremely formal form of speech, 'Come. We must go to training. There is a lot we must catch up on.'

Sakura sat there with a sad expression on her face, it made Lee die a little inside to see that look. He got up and took her plate to the kitchen and returned to find her by the door putting her shoes on.

'Let's go then.' She said devoid of emotion. Underneath it Lee could feel the sadness radiate from her.

'Take your weights off. This time you are coming at me with all you have.' Lee commanded, he felt a bit more relaxed as they sparred. He was back in his element of fighting and training. He could also tell that Sakura was much more focused now. He acted as he usually did while training and he thought she may be much more settled having a Lee she knew back.

He waited patiently as she took a drink of water and prepared herself for battle again. She wiped the sweat off her brow and turned to face hime once more, determination in her face, and got into a good fighting position.

Sakura was always the first one to make a move, Lee made sure of that so she wouldn't be caught off guard and be hurt by him.

Leaping backwards and reaching into her pouch, she let kunai fly. They landed in a circle around him, paper bombs attached to them. Lee noticed and jumped out the way just in time before he was caught in the blast. A large dust cloud had been swept up, as he landed he was met with a punch aimed for his face from a blind spot. It was quickly blocked and pushed away. Sakura became unbalanced but she followed suit with a roundhouse kick. Missed, Lee had backflipped and the kick spun her round. Luckily she had become balanced again and was ready for another attack.

She seen the look in his face and she immediately backed up. She knew he was planning something, but what, that was the question.

She took that small break to wipe the sweat from her fore head. She formed a hand-sign and started gathering chakra. Lee dashed forward quickly tonfa in hand. Sakura smiled and countered with a concealed kunai. He gasped realising he was deceived. The weapons clashed, ringing loudly in the trees around them. They stood stuggling against the force the other put behind their weapon until both weapons were thrown to the side by the sheer power they sustained.

Limb met limb. Punches and kicks were given and blocked by both parties. Panting heavily, both retreated from the encounter. Sakura could feel her heart beating wildly. Dropping a smoke bomb she escaped to a nearby tree to recover.

She hid successfully behind a large clump of leaves. He finally got her breathing under control and peaked through the leaves at him. He was back into his usual ready position, hand behind his back and other held out, and was looking around frantically. He knew that Sakura was excellent at stealth and knew she could attack from anywhere at any given moment so he was always on his guard.

As she had leaned forward for a better view, she felt a sharp pain shoot up her arm, she gasped loudly at the pain but luckily Lee never heard, or if he did he gave no indication of it. Sakura knew that she would have to end this fight quickly or she wouldn't last. She was already tired from the whole morning of training and she wouldn't be surprised if Lee felt the same. She secured her wrist where the pain originated from with a bandage which she had in her pouch, unfortunatley she was not adept enough to set her arm right and if she was, she wouldn't risk it unless she hadn't been shown properly.

She knew what she had to do and she knew it was risky but it was her only choice right now, he was too strong and she can't handle him at half her strength.

She relaxed and started gathering chakra and feeling that familiar warmth spread throughout her body. Once she had reached the threashold she forced it down into her left hand and clenched her fist as if to hold it there in place. She usually used her right hand so she knew it wasn't going to be as powerful but it would have to do.

She launched herself off the branch and towards Lee's position, roaring loudly as she did. She landed right in front of him and released all the chakra at once in a punch. She missed and hit the soil in front of him and it gave him time to jump out the way of the blast which broke up ground.

She fell to her knees as she breathed heavily. She was at the end of her strength and she had no more left, not even any as a reserve.

A hand was held out to her and when she looked she saw Lee's smiling face look at her.

'I hadn't planned on figthing back but you gave me no choice in how you came at me.'

'Well you told me to go all out.'

'That is true, I did. I thought you were going to use that trick Lady Tsunade taught you but I didn't expect it so soon, you've gotten much faster at preparing it.'

She smiled nervously at the compliment, and grabbed his hand.

She shouted in pain as he held her wrist. She had forgotten that she had hurt it earlier and she made the stupid mistake to grab his with that one.

'What's wrong?' He said worried.

'I...hurt my wrist...before.' She said as she could feel tears welling up as she felt the pain surge through her.

He gently held her forearm, as he looked at the sweeling which was starting to appear.

'You need to have medical attention. You can't heal it can you?'

She shook her head.

He picked up her equipment as things as she headed back into the building and to the hospital wing. Luckily Lady Tsunade was around.

She saw the silent tears on Sakura's face and Lee's worried expression and she knew something was wrong.

'It's her wrist, she said she hurt it during training.' Lee explained

'Let's have a look at it.' As Sakura held her hand out to her for examination.

'Hmmmm. It looks like a sprained wrist, nothing too extreme but can be quite painful.' She used her chakra and a green aura appeared around her hand, she placed the hand upon Sakura's wrist and started performing some kind of massage. She could feel that it was becoming less tight and more relaxed and loose.

'There that should do it. You should probably take some tablets though just to ease some pain you may experience as it's getting set in the right places.' Lady Tsunade said pulling some ibuprofen and a glass of water from nowhere and handing it to Sakura. She took them and surprisingly felt no pain.

'How did you do it?' She asked as she as she took the medication.

'A sprained wrist is caused by the stretching of the ligaments, if you stretch them to much you cause it to become hard and rough tissue. All I did was ease the ligaments, making them relax and soften. I'll get you some sample to work with soon,' She explained, 'for now I must be off, I recommend that you take the rest of the day off, and relax your hand.'

She nodded and flexed her hand a little working some of the stiffness out of it. Lady Tsunade swept out of the room.

'Come on, let's get you back to your dorm so you can relax.' Lee said as he stood up, he didn't say it coldly but he wasn't filled with joy either. It was guilt, he felt like this was his fault because he pushed her so hard, because he needed to feel normal and since he couldn't be as he usually was around her he needed to train. He pushed her to her limits and for what, to make him feel better about himself, when she got herself hurt.

They headed back to her dorm in silence, the awkward kind.

Sakura sat back in the same place she was earlier as Lee went and made her a mocha, her favourite hot drink. She warmed her hands up and took a drink. She could feel the warmth make her feel better but the coldness she felt coming from Lee made her shiver.

'What's up with you?' Sakura asked irritated.

Lee looked surprised at her outburst but then confused.

'All day you've been in a funny mood. Is it about yesterday?' She asked, hoping he would get whatever it was off his chest, it had been buggin her all day. She was glad that he was himself as they were training but only then.

'No...yes...i don't know.' He placed his mug on the table and held his head in his hands.

'Well why don't you explain.' She said, as she shuffled next to him.

He sighed deeply, 'Well, I didn't want to put you under pressure by being the same as I normally am and hinting to a relationship, but I turned out to be an arsehole. You got hurt because I couldn't stop training or take a break, because I wanted to be myself in some way. I didn't mean for any of it to happen.'

She placed her hand on his arm and reassured him, 'It wasn't your fault.'

'It feels like it.'

She smiled, 'If this is the alternative then I'm not going to put up with it.'

He looked up confused, he had no idea what she meant.

'If you are not going to be yourself because you are waiting for me then I'm not going to put up with it for one second.' She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into the crook of her neck.

He was shocked for a moment before he smiled widely and used his free hand to stroke her hair.

'Sakura-chan?'

She lifted up and looked into his determined eyes, 'Hmm? What is it?'

'Be mine? Please?' He asked desperately.

'I thought I answered this before. Of course.' She smiled shyly at him.

Spontaneously he pulled her close and whispered in her ear, 'Thank you, I hope we'll be together for a long time.'

She nodded against his neck, she was too happy to speak. Who cared about Sasuke, all he did for her was play with her feelings. Yeah it'll hurt but she's much happier being with Lee than worrying about him, she'll move on easier this way.

After a large meal prepared by Lee they were cuddled up watching some dumb TV show. They didn't care what was on, they just enjoyed being together and talking, just like old times. Except they weren't exactly like before, it was more than that, it was better. Sakura felt that it had taken them forever to realise the one thing which was important from the moment they met, they had fallen in love, hard, but both were too dense to notice.

She was stretched out along the sofa and nestled between his side and his arm and he had his arm wrapped around her waist. They were perfectly comfortable when they heard the door open, when they jumped apart as if guilty.

'Hey guys. How ya doing?' Tenten asked in a joyful tone.

'H-hey Tenten, things are good.' Lee said to his sister in what he hoped to be a normal voice but he could feel the tension behind it.

Sakura just smiled and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Tenten just smiled and walked away, 'I'm heading upstairs for a bit, oh and, congrats on getting together finally.'

Sakura was quick to react, 'How did you know?' She squeaked out more high-pitched than usual.

'It's written all over your faces.' She said and disappeared.

Sakura looked at Lee, 'You're all red.'

'And so are you. I guess it really was written there huh?'

She smiled shyly, 'I guess so. Well that's one less person to tell and since she knows, the whole class will.'

'Yeah, knowing her it will, she'll be telling Neji when she goes back out and he'll tell everyone else.' Lee laughed. Damn, she loved hearing his laugh, she would be lost in it forever if he hadn't carried on, 'You'll be telling your parents, right? I don't want to have to pretend if I don't have to.'

She nodded solemnly, she would rather not, she knew how her father got about things but she knew she had to, 'I just hope my dad will understand.'

'What do you mean?'

'He doesn't take kindly to boy being close to me, other than my best friend who was with me like since forever in Suna.'

He curled up next to her, 'Then I'll make him accept me, I'll prove to him I'm worthy.'

'Of course you are, I don't care what he says, I'm not leaving you and that's the end of it. And he'll be told too if he doesn't agree with it.'

He smiled, 'You don't have to go against your father for me.'

'I would go against the world for you.'

'And the way you fought earlier, I'm sure you would knock them all flying.'

Night came and Sakura yawned loudly, she enjoyed spending today with Lee, but then again when didn't she. DVD's were watched and speech was exchanged, generally a relaxing but possibly boring day but she enjoyed very minute of it. Now she was getting tired she didn't want it to end but Lee had other ideas.

'You better be heading to bed.'

'Why? I want to spend more time with you.' She held him closer, pouting and rebelling like a little kid.

'Because you're yawning and you're tired.' Lee smiled at how cute she was acting.

'What if I say no?' She teased.

'I'll make you.'

'Then make me.'

Lee picked her up like he would hold a baby. Sakura squealed and laughed at it, at how he tickled her, at how lovingly he held her. He started moving towards the stairs and then at the top placed her back down in front of her door.

'Guess I have to now, you've left me no choice.'

Lee brushed a stray hair which came loose as she struggled against him. 'I told you I'd make you.'

Sakura blushed, 'You did.'

'You're so cute when you blush like that.' He caressed her cheek softly, which grew brighter.

She was speechless, not in a bad way but she couldn't speak due to the burning in her cheeks.

'I love you Sakura-chan.'

'I love you too, Lee-kun.' She managed to say softly.

'I'll see you in the morning, good night.'

'Goodnight.' She stayed and watched him walk down the hall and down the stairs and then finally she went in her room. Before she knew it she was lying in bed thinking that life was going to be so much better from now on.


	17. Chapter 17:Parents

**Hey guys, I know it's been a long time but things have seriously been hectic. I am now finally on my winter holidays and I can spend time to write, so made sure I made this a longer chapter than usual to make up for such a late update. I'll be sure to keep on top of my college work so I can keep writing to a decent schedule. I would like to thank my new reviewer LeexSaku Rocks for being supportive from the beginning and I dedicate this chapter to you, hoping it is pleasing for you.**

Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto (or Lee, I wish I did though)

A ringing phone woke her up from her deep slumber. She picked it up and rubbed her eyes.

'Sakura? You there?' She heard Ino through the speaker.

'mmmeh. Ino, what's up? Sleepily she called out, sitting up so she didn't fall asleep again.

'What are you talking about? You were the one who texted me to ring you this morning.'

Sakura couldn't remember, 'what did I say?' knowing full well that she did send texts then forget about ever actually sending them.

'You told me to ring you tomorrow morning as you have some news for me. So what's up?'

Sakura smiled, she loved the news, she loved the fact that she could call him...boyfriend. She blushed even though nobody was around, she hadn't got used to the fact that they were currently seeing each other.

'It's good news, don't worry,' She paused for effect; she heard Ino take a sharp intake of breath in anticipation but didn't speak, 'I'm over Sasuke.' She felt her heart twinge slightly, okay maybe she wasn't over him yet but she wasn't depressed over him anymore.

'That's great!' Ino squealed happily, if she was here she would have been sure to give Sakura a hug. 'What happened?'

'I-i was...confessed to.' Sakura said suddenly going shy.

'Ohmygod, by who?' Ino said feigning surprise, she knew of course who it was going to be before she said but she wanted to play along.

Sakura was suddenly choked up with emotion she couldn't speak. 'Sakura?' Ino questioned wondering if the line had gone dead.

'Sorry. Yeah I'm still here...It was Lee.' She said her face red as a tomato.

'So what did you say?' Ino wanted to know everything, and she felt a bit disappointed that she wasn't there to hear this first hand when it happened.

'I-i turned him down, at first,' Sakura said 'I wasn't ready for a relationship just then. That was two days ago. Then yesterday he started acting all weird.'

'So are you or aren't you together?' Ino asked confused.

Sakura nodded even though there was nobody here to actually confirm it to, 'Yeah we are.' She then proceeded to tell Ino the whole story, glad to finally have the strangeness of the situation off her chest by talking it out.

'That's so sweet.' Ino gushed out, 'You two are perfect together. Has he kissed you yet? I mean other than the other day.'

'Umm...No he hasn't.' She replied sadly.

'Hey don't get so glum, he's probably just being the old-fashioned type. You know the guy who always asks the parents blessing to marry someone.'

'M-m-marry?' Sakura stuttered out and blushed rapidly.

Ino laughed at her reaction. 'Oh Sakura, you make me laugh. I didn't mean he will but I'm saying he's the type to wait and let you set the pace, if you know what I mean.'

'I guess so.' Sakura replied. She didn't know why she was so down, she wanted to go slow because she wasn't sure if she wanted a very serious relationship right now. 'I just don't know what I want.'

'I hope you realise by the time I get back. My parents are about to get up then we are going out for the day, I'll speak to you later yeah?' Ino said casually.

'Okay, have a nice day.'

'You too, after all it is with your boyfriend so I don't think it will be hard, see ya.'

'Speak to you later.' She clicked her phone off. There was no need to go back to bed so she simply got up and got herself changed and downstairs earlier than usual and turned the telly on.

She looked at the clock and decided that it would be a decent time to go and see Lee. Her face lit up as she became excited to see him. She grabbed her coat as it was getting cold and checked her hair to make sure it was perfect. She knew that it wouldn't matter as the wind was loudly roaring outside and her hair would be in a mess but she wanted to look good for Lee when she met up with him.

While she was getting ready she remembered the last scene with Naruto, and at how he confessed to her. She realised at how much it might hurt him to find out about her and Lee. She suddenly felt guilty.

Shaking her head she knew that if she didn't face him now then she never will. She grabbed the front door and pulled, flinching as she saw a hand come towards her but with quick reflexes her visitor managed to stop before he hit her.

'Morning, that was good timing.' She heard his silky voice say.

She couldn't help but sigh and smile as she saw Lee's caring face.

'Good morning.' She said smiling like an idiot before she looked away and blushed. 'Do you want to come in?'

'Actually I thought we could go down to the dining hall with everyone else.' He grinned and moved from the door to let her leave.

After closing the door behind them, they set off down the silent corridors to the dining hall. Both were quiet as they contemplated the scene ahead. Sakura held her hands together in front of her as she walked and rubbed them together in anxiety. Lee recognised this and was keeping an eye out for her. Unexpectedly he reached out and held her hand and gave it a quick squeeze and smiled at her when she looked.

'Sakura-chan? What's wrong?' He asked softly.

She took a deep breath, 'I'm worried as to what people are going to say. More specifically, I'm worried about Naruto. I mean it was only days ago that he confessed to me and now he's going to have to find out about this.'

He pulled her into a hug to try and stop her streaming off problems and calm her down, 'Everything is fine with Naruto. He even said congratulations to me when I walked in last night. I don't think he's going to take this the wrong way.'

'Really?' She put her arms around his neck and looked up at him.

'Of course.'

She smiled, 'I'm pleased.' She couldn't help but be drawn to look at Lee's smiling mouth and see the plumpness of his lips and at how soft they were, Sakura couldn't help but want to kiss him, she desperately wanted it. While Sakura watched Lee, he was also battling within to stop himself from kissing her, he thought that she wasn't ready for it at all.

After a few seconds of standing embracing each other, Sakura realised what she was doing and looked away and stepped back while still holding one of his hands which had slid down from her shoulders to her waist. 'Okay, I think I'm ready to face everyone else now.'

He smiled and let her skip ahead of him as she was cursing her inability to take the first step.

She had expected silence from the dining hall, but instead she was faced with a small group of ninja talking and laughing loudly. There were no other students around as they had all went home for the holidays and all the staff who worked here were shinobi, even if they didn't teach the talented group, so they talked of training and planning group training sessions to test their skills out while the tournament was off.

Conversation seemed to die down as the couple turned the corner into the dining hall until it eventually stopped as it was the first real sighting of Sakura after her big break down for most of them.

'Morning guys.' She said as she headed towards them with a slightly nervous tone.

'Morning,' Naruto said with a slight sad smile, 'So it's true then?'

'I'm sorry?' She asked, feigning innocence, however she couldn't hide the faint blush she had on her cheeks and the increased thumping in her heart.

'You and Lee are together.' He stated, rather than questioned, as he saw the pairs hands joined.

'You don't have to tell anyone.' Sakura said quite angrily as the blush turned into a flush of anger and dropping the hand she held.

'We already know.' A small voice said from one side of Naruto, and as her eyes flicked to the source, saw that it was Hinata.

'Yeah sorry, my fault.' The person on the other side of her admitted.

'Tenten.' Lee moaned and face-palmed.

There were two seats on the other side of Naruto which were available, so Lee lead Sakura towards them and let her sit down. With only the slight squeeze on her shoulder he told her he was going to get the food and left quietly.

She looked at Naruto and noticed even though he was a little sad, probably from the confirmation of her and Lee being together, but happy in a way.

'I didn't mean to tell everyone before, but Tenten had told them all beforehand, they all asked me when I came down if it was true because I live with Lee.' Naruto apologised frantically.

She placed a hand on his shoulder to shut him up as she knew he would keep on ranting, 'No harm done, It's better if everyone knew anyways, then we wouldn't have to hide it.'

'Phew.' He sighed from relief, 'I was starting to worry that I had done something wrong.'

Sakura laughed musically, 'I noticed. You were getting a bit worked up.'

He scratched the back of his head as he said lowering his voice, 'Well I guess I was a little nervous.'

She sensed he was troubled by something, and as he turned towards her with his back to Hinata she was furiously blushing, 'What's up?'

Naruto grew red which was very odd for him as it never happened, 'Well…..' He drew the word out as he tried to gather his words, 'I was coming back from training yesterday and I saw Hinata in the hallway and I remembered what you said about her, that maybe we would be right for each other. I mean she's quiet and I'm quite forward and loud maybe we would, so I kinda got thinking about it and wasn't watching where I was going and walked right into her. Well as we fell I landed on top of her and my hand erm… kinda grabbed something it shouldn't and she passed out. When she woke up she remembered and ran away from me.'

'Buuuuut, she's sitting right next to you.' She said as quietly as she could.

'That's what's up though. She's sitting right there next to me and things are awkward. What do I do? I mean I do like her but I'm not sure if I'm ready for a relationship.'

'Well that was what I was like before we got together, me and Lee I mean. I wasn't sure if I was ready but he was there being so nice and I guess I just kinda started to see that as long as I had him I could make it through anything. Maybe that's what you need.' Sakura explained.

He sat thinking for a second, 'So let's say you are right, how would I go about it? I know that I need to sort this mess out and I don't know how I can bring it up without upsetting her.'

'Just tell her sorry about yesterday and I guess you can take her out to the village for dinner tonight to make up for it. That way you can apologise and get closer to her at the same time.'

Naruto smiled and had to restrain himself to hug her, 'You're brilliant, that'll work perfectly. I'll have to get her on her own to ask though I don't want everyone else to hear.' He gestured to everyone else with a thumb in their general direction.

She saw that other than Naruto, Hinata and Tenten, there was Neji, Choji and Shikamaru sitting and chatting. She did notice that Shikamaru seemed a bit down and she didn't know why.

She heard the scraping of a chair as Lee pulled his chair in and she saw that she had a plate of pancakes in front of her. She looked at his concerned face and she couldn't help but smile at him, she couldn't believe that she had someone who looked after her like this and worried about her over such a tiny little thing, she found it very sweet. He grinned when he knew she was okay and got to work eating the large pile of pancakes he had got himself.

They had both finished and was now just enjoying conversation between people there, however Shikamaru, Choji, Neji and Tenten had announced that they had to head off to their training session. Sakura had spent the last few minute holding Lee's hand and tracing the pattern of his bandages, playfully undoing them before he rebound his hand grumpily, giggling at his obviously fake annoyance.

Hinata had silently started to rise as Naruto spoke up, 'Anno, Hinata? Can I have a word with you before you go?' He briefly looked towards Sakura as the young ninja sat back down fiddling with the hem of her crème-coloured hooded jumper.

She squeezed Lee's hand and stood up, 'We better get on with our training we have a lot to catch up on after all.'

'Your hand is okay isn't it?' He asked curious.

'It's fine, after all I want a re-match after yesterday being cut short.' She giggled and started to pull him up and along with him out of the hall. 'I might see you later then Naruto.' She called back, knowing full well that she probably wouldn't.

'You're keen.' Lee told her as they went round the corner and out of sight from the soon-to-be couple.

'Naruto needs his privacy.'

'May I ask why?' He asked curiously.

'What if I don't feel like telling?' She teased.

'Well..' He said mischievously, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and whispered in her ear, 'Maybe I'll have to make you.'

Her words were caught in her throat and for a second as her heart beat wildly and her knees felt weak as she could feel his warm breath against her neck. 'And…. What will you do?'

He briefly nuzzled her neck, placed a hand on her lean naked belly which started to quiver beneath him before he lifted up and said, 'I don't know but I will think of something,' and then stepped away.

Sakura started to inconspicuously fan herself to cool her down. She couldn't help but feel cold and a little lonely after he left. She pouted.

'What wrong?' He asked hoping he hadn't done anything wrong.

'You. You do stuff like that suddenly then stop and don't carry on. Sometimes I just don't get you.'

He reached for the hand which now was placed on her hip and kissed it lightly, 'My dear Sakura-chan. I would rather die than take anything of yours which was not wanted. Your kiss, your love, your….innocence,' he blushed brightly but smiled, 'but it doesn't stop me from teasing you without your permission.'

She stuck her tongue out at him childishly and smiled. They had just started walking again and had reached outside. A cold wind blew and caused her to shiver violently. Unzipping his jacket he let her put it on and pulled the hood up to protect her face and held her in a one-armed hug as they walked. She couldn't help but feel safe and secure in his firm but caring grip and was glad that she knew he wouldn't ever take advantage over her.

Lee had decided since most of the other kids were away visiting family away from the school that they would do their training by the school running track. They started by running a few hundred laps to warm up and build up stamina and then reviewed the basic jutsu she was going to need to use in this test before she went on her survival training. They had just started sparring as a light sprinkle of snow started to fall.

After injuring herself yesterday she didn't push herself as much as she would have and Lee didn't push her at all, actually it was completely her idea to spar at all. He wouldn't have let her do it normally but he couldn't deny her what she wanted.

They had a small break while they had a hot drink and a sit down on the bench as she cuddled into his side and placed her head on his shoulder sharing the warmth of a blanket he had the sense to bring along.

'Lee-kun?' She asked hesitantly.

'Hm? What is it?' He contently sighed.

'Oh, er, nothing.' She said.

'No really, what's up?' He asked pulling her closer to him and placed his head on hers.

'Did you ever see us like this?' She asked.

'I hoped so. Why? Did you?'

'I didn't see anyone in particular but I did see me and someone I was with in the snow all cuddled up like this.' She admitted.

'Aww that's so cute. I'm glad I made your dream come true.' He laughed.

'That's not my dream.' She defended.

'So what is your dream?' He asked curiously.

She quickly got up and took a step away, 'It's private.'

'Not even if I try and make you?' He asked with a very seducing voice.

She shivered and not from the cold, 'No, not even then.'

'Okay, I respect your privacy,' he said and placed his hands on her shoulders 'but I'll be here if you ever do want to tell me.'

'Right. I want that re-match. You and me, no weights, no jutsu and no boundaries, just all skill and no ninja tools. How does that sound?' She challenged.

'But…I might hurt you.' He said worried.

Smirking she pulled him close and said, 'I know you would be able to stop before you hurt me, you wouldn't allow anything to happen to me. That is if you manage to even touch me.' She teased him.

'Okay I guess so.' He said as he reached down and started taking off his weights and setting his legwarmers right, Sakura did the same.

'Ready?' he asked as he entered his ready position.

She nodded once she was ready, 'Ready as I'll ever be.' She was pumped up for this no rule match between them, but she forced herself to be calm otherwise she wouldn't be able to retaliate his attacks with the speed and focus as she should be.

'Here I come.' He announced loudly.

It seemed like he had suddenly vanished but she knew that he was there just waiting for a moment to strike and just as suddenly he reappeared whilst he slashed through the air with his hand, she ducked and it flew just above her head. She parried with a fist drove upwards towards his face which connected and sent him flying. He landed neatly as he rubbed his chin.

She hadn't hurt him just pushed him back but she felt better that she was improving enough to do that. Sakura ran forward when he did, while he jumped in the air aiming with a kick she slid beneath him. As she entered a crouch position to slow herself down, Lee had landed and spun round quickly to be met with an incoming spinning kick. It sent him through the air and he landed with a loud thud.

'Okay, I give,' He said as he pushed himself up, 'I've taught you all I can.'

'Really?'

'There's nothing I can't teach you which you don't already know, the rest will just take time and practice.'

'Lee-kun, I'm so pleased to hear that from you. I-' Sakura spoke but was cut off by the sound of her name. She looked over her shoulder and saw the outline of her parents standing watching.

She watched stunned as they quickly walked towards them excited at seeing her. She was pulled into a hug by her mam as her dad ruffled her hair.

'Oh Sakura honey, it's so good to see you.'

'Mam? Dad? What are you doing here? I thought you were coming next week.' She spoke shocked but pleased at seeing them both.

'Your father managed to get a bit more time than we expected off so we came down early to spend more time with you. Oh we've missed you so much. How is it here? Are you eating enough? Why are you dressed like that? You'll catch a cold in this weather. What are you even doing here anyway?' He mother gushed at her, she was suddenly pleased that she had decided to wear a simple pink ribbon rather than the usual ninja headband she wore.

'Mam calm down and let me answer.' She took a deep breath. 'It's great here, I've really settled in, I really enjoy it here. I'm just training, you know getting stronger to be able to defend myself if I need to and this is my training gear so I don't over-heat.' She spoke as her mother kept fussing over her.

Sakura's dad gave Lee a good look and asked gruffly, 'I guess you've been training her then?'

'I have, sir. I assure you that no harm has come to her and never will. It is more than a pleasure to have her here at this Academy.' Lee spoke with the most respect Sakura has ever heard. He must be trying to make a good impression she thought and it made her smile.

'I hope you haven't hurt my little girl.' He said angrily.

'Of course I haven't sir.' He sounded a bit offended but he knew that it was just a fatherly instinct, 'I would rather hurt myself than hurt her.' He gave her a meaningful look before looking back at Sakura's father.

'Aren't you the boy who helped us when we brought her here?'

'Yes sir.' Sakura could see he was struggling not to salute in a military style so he could cheer her up as he could tell she was getting worried.

She decided then was a good time to step in, she stepped out of her mothers' arms and placed a hand on her dads' shoulder.

'Dad just leave him alone, don't pressure him so much. They've all taken care of me well here and I'm very welcome here.'

She went over to Lee's side and quietly asked if he was okay, he just slowly nodded and looked away from her.

'What your name?' Her dad asked.

'Daaaaad.' Sakura moaned.

'What? It's just a simple question.' He justified.

'My name is Lee.'

'Yeah, and he's my boyfriend.' She said as she held his hand tightly and gave her father a hard look, telling him to back down.

**Ooooooh. I am harsh leaving it at a cliff-hanger, but you shouldn't have long to wait as I'm hoping to have a chapter out on Christmas to carry it on. Thanks for reading and I hope you review.**

**PS – please review and tell me how my fight scenes are as I've started adding them in recent chapters and I wondered if they are okay and what I need to do to improve. That would be great thanks**


	18. Chapter 18:Christmas

**Well this chapter is slightly later than I had wanted but I guess it is better than weeks later. I hope this is a good follow-up chapter to the previous one. I can safely tell you I loved writing the tail end of it. I can say I've seen enough hentai to see where this is going xD Nah jokes but it does get close. Anyways thanks to my new reviewer, I'm glad you like this story and I'm more than slightly amazed at you saying one of the only good LeexSakura stories, I graciously thank you from the bottom of my heart it means so much TT-TT**

Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto unfortunately

She woke up early that morning because she was cold. She shivered violently which caused her teeth to chatter. Fighting the instinct to rub some warmth into her arms, instead she moved closer to the natural heater she had next to her. Lee breathed deeply, his mouth hanging half-open as he lightly snored away. The bed covers were all wrapped up around Sakura and only half of them covered Lee, she felt guilty but she knew that it was him who had arranged it this way to keep her warmer. Smiling she brushed a clump of hair from his serene face and pulled her head onto his muscular chest. Sighing contently she wrapped her arm around his toned stomach and closed her eyes to try and sleep again.

She was really happy when Lady Tsunade told the ninja here that they could stay in another persons' dorm over Christmas and the New Year until school started again. The orders came from higher up though, it was the Hokage's decision to allow it as it was Christmas and they should be trusted to act responsibly. She could have kissed him because she was so happy about it. It was her first night sleeping in Lee's bed with him and she was so excited that she couldn't sleep but eventually after a while of Lee humming songs to her she finally fell soundly asleep in his arms.

Then she also realised that today was Christmas and that she and Lee were going to see her parents today. She got an ominous feeling in her stomach that today was going to be a day from hell. She remembered back to the day when her parents arrived early and she admitted to Lee being her boyfriend.

'_What your name?' Her dad asked._

'_Daaaaad.' Sakura moaned._

'_What? It's just a simple question.' He justified._

'_My name is Lee.'_

'_Yeah, and he's my__ boyfriend.' She said as she held his hand tightly and gave her father a hard look, telling him to back down._

'_I'm sorry what did you say?' Her mother asked hoping she hadn't heard what she had._

'_Lee-kun is my boyfriend. I love him and I would appreciate __it if you would accept him.' She defended as Lee tried to regain composure and not feel elated that she admitted out loud to her parents that she loved him._

_A moment of silence fell as her parents internally debated her words. They both didn't believe that__ she was old enough to have a boyfriend at all but they knew that she had made __her mind up and there was no way it was going to change. Her mother gave in first and enveloped both Lee and Sakura in a hug, surprising both of them._

'_I know you are a good judge of character Sakura, and if you choose him, then I accept him completely.' She said as she pulled out of the hug, 'Come on honey, be nice.' _

_She called back to her husband._

'_You'll have to prove yourself to me before I accept you.' He said simply and sta__rted to walk away._

'_I will make you see that I am worthy, Sir.' Lee said to the retreating outline._

'_Lee, was it?' He nodded, 'You don't need to be so polite to my husband. Don't take what he says to heart, he just needs time. You two should get out of the__ cold.' Sakura's mam said as she pulled her jacket closer to her._

'_Don't you need any help with your luggage?' Sakura asked._

'_Oh no honey, we've already dropped our bags off at the hotel on the main road.' Sakura knew which one she meant, she had passed it__ regularly when she went shopping with Ino and Lee. 'We were planning a meal for tonight are you free?' Her mam asked._

'_I have no plans.'_

'_Great, we'll see you later then.'_

'_What are you still doing there? We have to go and unpack.' Sakura's father called__ back._

'_Coming.' Her mother shouted back._

'_I'll make sure she gets there safe ma'am.' Lee said struggling to not formally bow to her. Sakura rolled her eyes._

'_Aww you really are sweet aren't you? You don't have to call me ma'am.' Sakura's mother smiled and__ then hurried off to catch up with her husband._

'_You're very much like your mother aren't you?' Lee said smirking._

'_Hey now don't get any ideas.' Sakura pouted._

'_I'm not, it's just I get to see you in thirty years.' He squeezed her hand and led her to the__ pile of blankets, weapons, weights and hot drinks he had left there earlier._

'_I'm sorry about my dad. I don't understand why he's like that.' She said looking down at her feet._

_A gentle hand lifted her chin up so he could look at her. 'Your father is just__ worried about you, he just needs time. Although it does make me wonder how my father will react to us together.'_

'_I'm sure he'll just congratulate you on being "youthful".' She laughed and gave him a little push._

'_Youth is what we strive on. I shall carry__ on being youthful for all my days.' Lee said dramatically as his eyes burned brightly._

_Sakura giggled lightly and embraced him, 'Of course you will hun.'_

_He grew serious again, 'As I said, I will make your dad trust me and accept me.'_

'_Well good luck with__ that,' she laughed, 'He can be a stubborn one.'_

'_It makes me think if we'll be like that when we have kids,' he seemed to realise what he had said, blushed and stammered out, 'I-I mean i-if, n-not when.'_

_Sakura though he looked so cute as they both became__ red._

'_Maybe.' She said simply as she clung to him tighter, smiling, wanting nothing more than for them to be together for that long._

_As they neared the hotel, Sakura could feel herself becoming more nervous, which was disconcerting because it was her par__ents she was going to see, she shouldn't be feeling like this. She just hoped that she didn't mention something to do with her life as a ninja, which she would find hard to do if they asked any questions about school because she'd feel like she was lying t__o them._

_Lee could feel the tension build up in her, so he stopped and gestured her to sit with him on a near-by bench._

'_You're worried about letting slip aren't you.' He stated._

'_How did you know?' She asked a little shocked._

_He lifted her up with ease and__ placed her on his lap. She was used to this kind of treatment as he would regularly just lift her out of the way but never was she placed on his lap. She wound her arms around his shoulders and started to absent-mindedly play with his ebony hair. 'I'm you__r boyfriend after all, I should know you by now. Also it's written all over your face.' He smiled and kissed her lightly on her forehead._

'_I might accidentally tell them something though. I may say something which might endanger all of us. What if they dis__own me?' She tailed off, 'This is exactly why normal people shouldn't be like us.'_

_As she spouted off he gently pulled her towards his chest and wrapped his arms around her, 'You won't. I know you're strong enough to keep our culture safe. You'll do it, an__d if not then I'll take the blame.'_

'_You know just what to say to make me feel better don't you?' She giggled._

'_If it's for you, I'd do anything.' He vowed._

_Dinner was a pleasant experience. She enjoyed seeing her parents and catching up on everything __which happened. She especially asked about Gaara. She hadn't been able to contact him for a while but her parents said something about signal being down because of a freak sandstorm weeks ago and they haven't fixed it yet. It made sense to her, it always h__appened at the most annoying times._

_When the subject of school or free time came up she either dodged the question or omitted bits, but when subjects about Lee came up she couldn't help but smile and blush as she answered._

_However as they asked how they ha__d got together she had decided to leave out Sasuke and not talk about that depression. It wouldn't do her parents any good to worry about her when she was recovering already._

_Her parents dropped her off at the Academy and they arranged to meet tomorrow to__ go around the village, see the sights and have a bite to eat for lunch. She was also teased by her mother and ordered to bring that nice boy from earlier much to her father's dismay. _

_From that day her and Lee planned many little 'accidents' in which he __managed to save her from, like her 'slipping' on some ice and Lee with his super-fast reflexes managed to catch her and set her right. Sakura was pleased to see that her father was warming up to her boyfriend and during shopping with only her parents she c__ould see that they were looking to get him a Christmas present. _

_Also during these shopping times she made sure she was on the look-out for a good present for him in which she got and had wrapped before she headed back and hid it from view so he wouldn't __find it._

Without her realising she had feel deeply asleep and was woken by a soft voice. She slowly opened her eyes and woke up to a man with his arms around her waist and a mouth by her ear.

'Good morning Sakura-chan.' He whispered softly hoping that he didn't wake her up but checking to see if she was.

She squeezed tightly, 'Good morning Lee-kun.'

'How did you sleep?'

'Better than ever.' She smiled at him, 'Merry Christmas.'

'Merry Christmas.' He repeated and started to run his fingers through her hair releasing the sweet smell of strawberries she always seemed to have.

She usually hated her hair being messed up by someone but with Lee things were different. She really enjoyed it but she would never admit it out loud.

'What's the plan for today?' She asked curiously, wondering if he had anything special planned.

He smirked mischievously, 'Weellll…..You aren't leaving here that's for sure. Anything else is just a bonus.'

'Come on Lee-kun, you know we have plans to go to my parents.'

'I know, but I would have liked to have you all to myself today.' He said grumpily.

She stayed laying there with him for a while, she didn't want to get up yet but she knew that they had to. Also she really wanted to give him his Christmas present. She patted his chest and he instantly let go of her.

'Come on. We should get up. After all I have something for you.' She said as she started clambering out of the bed and went to the bag she had brought with her and reached in a grabbed a green-papered box. She turned around and handed him the box as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

'Sakura-chan you didn't have to get me something. Now I feel guilty.' He said sadly.

She was a little disappointed but she would rather not have anything in return because he gave her a gift everyday just by being with her.

'Think of it more as a thank you for helping me through a tough time in my life,' She said with a smile, 'Okay, I'm going to get changed, can you wait until I'm finished before you open it?'

He nodded and she grabbed her bag and went to his bathroom. She didn't think they were at the right stage in their relationship to dress in front of him.

She quickly hurried as she got changed, washed and brushed her teeth. She was just brushing her hair as she came back in the room to find a sparkly pink packet next to his on the bed. He was in the middle of getting changed himself and was just pulling off the tight t-shirt he wore to bed when she opened the door.

'You didn't really think I wouldn't get you something, did you?' He chuckled softly

'I thought you would do something like this.' She huffed.

'I'm sorry.'

'What are you sorry for? There's nothing wrong with wanting to surprise your girlfriend, you know?'

He sat down again and he handed her the present. 'Go on. Open it.'

She carefully opened the packet. She didn't want to appear too anxious but she was pleased. After she undid the last piece of sellotape she removed the paper to find a soft pink material. Upon closer inspection she managed to determine that it was a pair of gloves, a hat and a scarf with a pattern of silvery snowflakes around the edges. Inside the mound was a small deep purple teddy bear with the three words "I love you" embroidered in red over its chest.

She leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her and she smiled, 'Thank you. I love it.'

'I thought you would.,' He smiled sadly, 'I actually got the teddy for you to remember me by.'

Sakura looked at him confused, 'What do you mean Lee-kun? Of course I'll remember you? What are you talking about?' She asked as she felt her heart drop.

'You know how uncertain it is in this life.' He stroked her cheek softly. 'There may come a time when I'm called on a mission, and, well…..I may not come back. I'm giving you this to cherish, so that if it ever does happen, you will know that whenever you see it that I'll always be with you. No matter what.' Tears silently fell down her face at his speech, she didn't want to believe him, couldn't. As he wiped the tears with his thumbs he lightly kissed her nose.

'Why? Why are you saying this? Of course you'd come back. You can't not, you're amazing.' She could hardly understand the words she spoke, the only thing she was fully aware of was the dark hole she could feel herself falling into. She could feel her heart crack a little more with each passing second. She clung tightly to his shoulders and held the teddy bear with such love, as she could feel the hot salty tears fall down her heated cheeks. She couldn't believe this was happening. She only just found him, the one she'd searched for all her life and knowing that sometime in the future she would be losing him again. It hurt to think, all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and shut herself off from the world.

'Of course I would come back, I have you to come back for. If I didn't who would look after you?' He said smiling through watery eyes at having hurt his love so badly.

She knew that what he spoke was the truth but she didn't want to believe it. She hiccupped and replied honestly, 'I just don't want to lose you. It took me so long to realise it was you and only ever you who was right for me, I don't want you to go as quickly as I found you.'

He shushed her gently, 'I won't leave you, never. I'll make sure that I always come back to you just so you won't be alone again,' He pulled her onto his lap as he always did and kissed her cheek, 'I love you Sakura-chan, nothing will change that.'

'And I love you too.'

She wiped her eyes vigorously and tried to place a smile on her face but she didn't quite make it and instead buried her face against his chest. Lee held her close as she calmed down. Eventually she gave one final squeeze and pulled away, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to over-react, I guess it just came as a shock, I'd never even thought about it before.'

He placed a finger to her lips to allow him to speak 'No Sakura-chan, it is my duty to be the one to say sorry. I did not want to hurt you, so I should never have said what I did, I am so very sorry.'

She smiled and giggled at him for using the posh and polite tone she loved, 'I needed to know all the possibilities so I can be ready for them, you should just tell me it straight and hurt me rather than hide the truth. Hopefully this can help bring you back to me, keep you safe and maybe even give you some inspiration.' She gave him a wink as she handed him the green-papered box.

He placed it onto her lap as he carefully unwrapped it. He wondered what she meant in what she had said, and with the wink, but he decided to shrug it off and just find out for himself. After the wrapping was removed he opened the box to find a pair of ebony nunchaku and an emerald shirt. Within the shirt he had found a set of three books, all with….interesting titles.

'Icha Icha?' He questioned.

Smiling she stroked his arm suggestively; 'I thought they would be an interesting experience for you to read.'

'I'm sure I have all the inspiration I need here.' He stroked her hair causing her to blush deeply.

'So do you like them?' She asked embarrassed.

'I love them a lot but they came from you so I love them even more so.' He said with a goofy grin on his face.

Sakura smiled, she knew he was being serious and she loved that he was trying his hardest to make her feel better. She looked at the time and realised that they soon had to leave for the hotel and Lee had still yet to change.

She patted his shoulder lightly and hopped off his lap, half hoping that he would make a grab for her again but he didn't. 'I'll wait for you downstairs as you change.' She left her teddy bear on the table next to his bed and then proceeded downstairs. She just reached the living room when she heard voices there and instead she decided to hide and see who it was, even though she should be expected to be here, she was curious as to who was around.

'I'll see you later then Hinata.' Naruto said with a large smile and blush on his face as he leant in and gave her a light kiss goodbye. It seemed so sweet and gentle as it seemed to steal Hinata's breath away.

Sakura looked on full of envy but she still was happy for her two friends which were growing closer as the weeks went by. After the kiss ended both were a little breathless, it was surprising that Hinata was still on her feet, and blushing brightly.

'I'll see you later Naruto-kun.' She muttered and hurried quickly back to her dorm not wanting to be seen.

He tried to close the door quietly and sneak back upstairs but was met at the base of the stairs and flushed brightly at being caught in the act.

'S-sakura, how much of that did you see?' He said as he couldn't meet her gaze.

They both headed to the living room and made themselves comfy as Lee made himself presentable, 'Enough,' she gave him a smile and a friendly hug, 'I'm so pleased for you, you have to tell me everything.'

He blushed brightly but couldn't help but grin widely. 'Thank you, thanks a lot. I guess I can tell you since you saw and gave me the push but you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even Gejimayu.'

Sakura sighed, he had dubbed him the nickname after she rejected him but the name stuck for Naruto, 'I really wish you wouldn't call him that.'

'He doesn't mind, anyway back to the point, you tell him everything.'

'Actually I didn't tell him about when you two went for dinner, he caught you coming back late and you confessed because you were slightly drunk.' Sakura defended.

'Really?' She nodded, 'Oh, then I apologise.'

'I won't tell him anything even though he'll work it out eventually, so just tell me.'

'Well we went out for that meal and it went really well, we got to know each other after a bit of persuading and had a few drinks. After she got a bit drunk I apologised for the, erm, accident and she admitted she had actually enjoyed it.' He told her, chuckling a little as he got into his story.

'So I'm guessing nothing happened?' Sakura questioned.

He shook his head, 'No, she actually passed out again, probably as she had her first drink when we went out and I'm guessing the amount made her drowsy, I have no idea I can hardly remember it. So I took her home and then I went to bed myself, not after watching her sleep of course. I'd sobered up by then and I could hear her murmuring my name. It was then I knew that she liked me a lot and I made it my goal to be with her.'

Sakura listened intently, 'A few days ago I went to a flower shop and bought some lilies, her favourite flower and put them in her room. Then last night after you two had gone to bed I invited her to stay the night, and as you can see I kissed her, except we kissed a lot during the night. I've never felt like this about anyone before, I can't help but feel that her needs will always be more important than mine.' He blushed and looked away.

'It's called love Naruto, and it's normal to feel that way about someone,' Sakura said as she placed an arm around his shoulders, 'I know I do and I know Lee does too. Just tell her when you next see her.'

'Well I'm seeing her later so I'll tell her then. I think we are together but not officially so please don't say anything until we actually go public. Unlike when I blabbed to people about you two.' Naruto flushed at the memory.

'I know you didn't mean it and we were heading down to tell everyone anyways whether you confirmed Tenten's story or not. I never blamed you anyways.'

Naruto unexpectedly embraced Sakura in a friendly hug, 'You're a great friend Sakura, much better than if we were together,' He said slightly emotionally as Lee came down the stairs, 'I better go and get ready then.' He released her and then headed to his room, passing Lee as he went.

Lee looked curiously as she skipped over to him and took his hand. She cuddled close to him and sighed happily. He was wearing a pair of smart black trousers and the shirt he was just given. It suited him very well; it was fairly tight so you could see the toned muscles which were usually hidden from view in his normal clothes and school uniform.

'It suits you,' She said smiling as they started to walk to her parents, 'I just hope my dad is going to be nice today of all days.'

'Merry Christmas.' Lee and Sakura both chimed as the door was opened.

'Merry Christmas, you two, c'mon come in and get warm its cold out there.' She ushered them in. The smell of cooking wafted through from the kitchen and a spicy scent came from a candle nearby. To Sakura it smelt like home and it made her happy to see her mother having been hurrying around trying to make a special Christmas while being so far away from home. To Lee it was welcoming and he was pleased to see his girlfriend the happiest he's seen her.

'Hope you had a great day sweetheart.' Sakura's mother told her as she hugged her daughter.

'I did. I'm gonna miss you loads.' Sakura said, crying silently.

'Oh honey, so am I. We'll be glad to see you home in the Easter holidays. Is there anything you want me to tell him?' Her mother gestured to a present she had been given to give to Gaara once they got home.

Sakura wiped her eyes and gained a comforting squeeze of the hand from Lee, 'Just tell him that I'll see him when I come home during the next holidays and that I miss him loads, it's not the same without him.'

'Okay sweetie. Hope you enjoy your camping trip with your classmates this week, make sure you wear something warm.' They had told her parents that this next week the class had been planning a camping trip outside of the village and unfortunately there was no phone signal, so in essence Sakura was unavailable for the next week.

She then turned to Lee, 'Please look after her; I know I can trust you to keep her safe.'

'Don't worry Mrs Haruno; I'll make sure she stays safe.' Lee said formally as it was a request made of him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura could see her dad wrestling with his inner feelings.

'Lee? May I have a word?' He asked and gestured away from the group.

'Certainly Sir.' He said and wandered over with her father.

Sakura was confused, as was her mother, they stared on watching as the spoke in low voices which couldn't be heard.

When they returned both were more comfortable and were wearing smiles as they joked a little. Sakura was bewildered but pleased that her dad has finally decided to accept him as being part of her life.

Her dad glanced at her and said to Lee, 'Remember what I told you to do, she'll love it.'

'I won't forget it sir.'

'One thing though, it's dad or nothing okay.' He grinned and tried to give Lee a pat on the head but he was too quick of course and managed to dodge easily.

'See you again.' Both parents called as the kids headed down the corridor.

'Bye mam, bye dad.' Sakura called back waving as they turned the corner.

'I'm proud of you hun.' Sakura mam told her husband giving him a small kiss as they headed back to the room. It was time to start packing as they would be heading home in the morning.

The cold hit them as soon as they stepped onto the street which caused Sakura to pull her scarf tighter. She had a few glasses of wine with her parents and was more than slightly buzzed. Stumbling, Lee held tight to Sakura so she wouldn't hurt herself.

'Can I ask what you and my dad talked about?' She stuttered because of a cold gust of wind.

'Will you tell me what you spoke to Naruto about this morning?' He grinned.

'I told you, I can't say anything about that.' She moaned.

'Then my lips are sealed.'

She pouted for a second, 'Hey Lee-kun?'

'Yes?' He said slowing down slightly as he could feel her falling behind.

'Why didn't you drink any alcohol?' She asked wondering.

He sighed, 'When I drink alcohol I lose it. I don't act as I usually do and have been known to be violent, but that could just be me hitting back from my dad's abuse. I didn't think I was ready to subject you to that especially with your parents around and trying to make a good impression.'

She smiled, gripped tightly and snuggled close to his arm, 'Whatever you did, you've made a great impression, I'm happier than ever now.'

Her abrupt action to grab hold of him caused her to lose her footing and almost fall to the ground but due to Lee's quick reflexes she was saved from contact. He pulled her up so she was facing him and while gazing into his eyes she noticed something above his head.

'You should be more careful, I don't want you to hurt yourself.' Lee said worried as his heart was beating quicker than usual due to the shock of almost not being there in time. But instead she was staring above him and didn't hear a word of what he said.

She mumbled something and Lee looked confused, he followed the direction of her eyes and saw that there was a delicate plant above their heads; it was mistletoe.

Smiling he returned to her and saw that she was now looking at him and growing red, and not because of the alcohol or the cold. She was waiting nervously.

He gently brought his head down and met her halfway as she raised herself. Her hands were placed softly on his chest as he had a hand on her cheek. Guiding her to him he tilted her head and then felt her soft lips against his own.

Pulling away, his cheeks grew red, 'I'm sorry, I should have asked permission first.'

'Better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission.' She replied rather breathless as she smiled widely. She wanted more of him and didn't know how one person could be so addicting but he was.

Without hesitation he bent down and kissed her again, deeper and longer, and continued until both needed to have some air. Sakura felt a bit dizzy but she was elated at finally being in a proper relationship with Lee now. She shivered from pleasure his touch while he slowly stroked her arms brought.

'We best get you home. It isn't exactly the best of weather to be out here.' He spoke seductively. She would do anything he told her when he spoke in that kind of voice, no matter what it was. He scooped her up in his arms bridal style, while she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried herself deep within his broad shoulders, and set off leaping through between the houses and over rooftops and literally within a few minutes they were back at the Academy and at his door.

After leading her into his bedroom, Lee proceeded to hold her in his arms. Without having to think Sakura reached up and pulled him to her as she leaned into him. She traced his bottom lip begging to be allowed entrance. Eventually after a few agonised whimpers from his love he stopped his teasing and began to playfully wrestle with her tongue which had slipped within his mouth. He placed his hands on her hips making her moan loudly, it caused him to smile menacingly and pull away from the kiss.

'Hey!' Sakura, feeling abandoned, complained, running her fingers through his hair as he placed a soft kiss on her neck and lightly bit it. She couldn't contain herself and she tried to guide him towards his bed, but was met by an immovable force. He reached down and traced patterns on her thigh before lifting it up so it was against his hip. She gasped as he lifted her off her feet with ease and was carried to the bed and placed on it gently. Long since detached from his lips she moved to his face and met them again with a lustful hunger. Fumbling hands reached for the material over his top-half and started to undo the buttons. Once released from the constricting material, Sakura started to rub his chest as he started to shuffle out from what was still on him.

Sick of pretending, Lee easily won the fight for dominance between them and became more forceful as he kept Sakura's tongue in control, along with her body itself. Lee's hands became rough as they travelled down her curves, innocently brushing her large mounds and rested on her rather firm and round arse.

'Lee-kun.' She moaned loudly with a sharp intake of breath and involuntarily moved her hips closer to him. Her fingers trailed down as she tried to reach for his pants but instead was met with Lee's hands holding her wrists and with one last sweet kiss he was off from on top of her and sitting at the foot of the bed. Slowly taking her time she sat up herself and shuffled towards him.

Placing a hand on his thigh, she asked, 'What wrong? Why did you stop?'

He held her hand tightly and with sad eyes said, 'I don't want to take this from you. Not yet. I want the moment to be more special than this, especially since you are under the influence of alcohol. I don't want you to regret it and it's possible you could.'

She kissed his cheek, 'I could never regret you or anything with you.'

He smiled and looked at her directly, 'Thanks but still, not tonight.'

Crawling over his knees she sat on his lap, 'Okay then.' She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him.

'I'm guessing you'll be staying here tonight then.' Lee mentioned.

She nodded and grabbed her stuff again and got changed in the bathroom as she went about her nightly routine and when she returned Lee was already in bed with the covers pulled back waiting for her to arrive. She slid in delicately and pulled the covers back as Lee made sure she was fully covered and then snapped the bed-side lamp off.

'Lee-kun?' She asked.

'What is it?'

'Is…Is tomorrows test hard?' She asked starting to feel nervous and worried at what was to come.

'Well for me it was. But only because of not being able to use ninjutsu and genjustu, they had to pass me due to my taijutsu abilities. However the others have all said it isn't too hard, you'll find out tomorrow. I can also be lead to believe that because you're Lady Tsunade's personal student that you will have to do a medical ninjutsu exam too,' He wrapped his arms around her waist and shuffled closer, 'I know you'll pass with flying colours.'

'I'm just worried I won't pass like everyone else has.' Sakura admitted.

Lee gave a loud burst of laughter, 'They can't not pass you, you're amazing. You're fast, you're stealthy, you have a good aim with your tools and you are getting pretty adept at your medical skills. You can handle it I'm sure and if I'm wrong you can butter me up and feed me to Samehada.'

'I'd much rather you here to comfort me.' She said twisting around to see him.

'I'll always comfort you,' He said and placed a soft kiss on her lips leaving them tingling, 'Now let's sleep, you'll need all the rest you can get for tomorrow.'

She flipped back over, 'Okay, goodnight.'

'Goodnight my blossom.'

**Hehehe. I'm soooo evil cutting it off before it was getting gooooood. I wanted to write a little scene like that for a long time and I knew that I couldn't go full on lemon at this stage so I had to do this. Don't worry you'll get your fix eventually nymphoid fans (like me ^-^)**

**Please can you guys review just to tell me how I've been doing, what I've done well, what hasn't been done so well so I can improve and be able to write an awesome story, especially this chapter as it took me through so many emotions I'd like to see how I managed to capture it all, especially lust ;)**

**So college starts back up in a couple of days. This time I will stay on top of my work so I can write more and hopefully have another chapter up within the next two weeks.**

**Until then ja ne x**


	19. Chapter 19:Tests

**Hey guys. I am soooooo sorry about such a late update, I should have kept on top of things but with work and lots of college work at one time I haven't really had time.**

**Other than that, I have been working on some other things, such as some one-shots of different sorts, all relating to Naruto of course xD, so I am hoping that along with keeping up with updating this that I can also finish writing them up and also have some time on the side to catch up with some anime.**

**So without further ado, here is the new chapter.**

Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto

Waking up once again in Lee's arm was like heaven. Even after all this time she couldn't believe that he was hers and after last night, it made it final, but thinking about what could have happened made her blush brightly. For once she was actually glad that he stopped her before she did something she wasn't ready for.

It was still early in the morning but she knew that she wouldn't get anymore sleep. Sakura knew that Lee was still asleep from the deep breathing.

Substituting her pillow for Lee's chest, a giggle escaped her lips as she could feel the deep fall and rise of his chest as he slept. Wanting to see how he looked when he slept she shuffled up his body a bit and examined him.

A deep sigh of content escaped from her lips; gently brushing his fringe to the side so she could see his perfectly sculpted face with nothing to hinder its beauty. He surprisingly looked more mature as he slept because his goofy grin wasn't plastered on his face, highlighting more facial features which she never noticed before. His large eyes, his wide cheekbones and his rounded chin, they all deepened and his hair perfectly framed them.

He looked like a god, her god and not for anyone else. To have something entirely her own and what will always be hers, made her feel elated.

'Goddammit Lee-kun.' She moaned quietly, 'How can you be so irresistible even when you're asleep?' Sakura then placed her lips on his and gave him a sweet kiss. Surprisingly she felt a pair of arms encircle her and attempted to pull her closer. They pulled away for air and he cupped her cheek.

'Best awakening ever.' He smiled and stole a kiss.

'Good morning.' Sakura smiled at him, as he raised his hands to run his fingers through her hair. He pulled her towards him, resulting in a rather heated kiss.

When they parted, they were both breathing heavily, Sakura giggled as Lee grew slightly red from embarrassment.

'What's wrong?' She teased.

'I only ever dreamt of that until yesterday.' He admitted.

Sakura also blushed as she nodded in agreement and smiled as Lee grinned widely.

Music started playing in the corner of the room as the alarm went off, signalling that it was time to get up.

'As much as I like it, shouldn't you be getting off?' Lee questioned.

'No, we're spending all day here.' She teased him.

A surprisingly gentle hand caressed her arm making small circular patterns, 'You haven't forgotten what day it is I hope.' He pressed, the music getting louder threatening to wake Naruto who resided next door.

Sakura pouted and obediently rolled off his body with a soft thump and got up out of bed. Sensing she was upset, Lee reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist and embraced her from behind.

'Sakura-chan? Are you okay?' He asked full of concern.

She squeezed his hand, turned down the volume of the radio and returned to the bed and sat down.

'I just feel that something is gonna go wrong during the week we'll be gone.' She sighed deeply.

'What do you mean?'

'I don't know, just something in my gut is saying that I shouldn't go, but I know I need to.'

He placed his hand on hers, 'I'm sure it's nothing major, everything will be fine.'

She smiled and cuddled close to him, 'I guess you're right, it's probably just nerves. Speaking of which we should probably get ready to go.'

They both got changed in a hurry then went to Sakura's room to prepare her backpack for after her test. Lee was going to pack his while she was being tested since he wasn't allowed in.

Before long they were both standing outside of Lady Tsunade's office, Sakura trembling with nerves, Lee worried for her. Sakura started to raise her shaking hand to knock on the door but when she had almost accomplished it her hand hung limply by her side.

He could sense the worried thoughts travelling through her mind. Instinctively he reached round her waist and pulled her closer; between them he could feel her rapidly beating heart. Her head rested against his chest and she was starting to feel reassured.

She knew Lee worried about her and she didn't have to be strong for herself but for him too, so she placed a large grin on her face and looked at him.

'I'm fine, I should easily breeze my way through this, right?' She said confidently but sounded a little unsure of herself as she asked him.

He smiled at her and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, 'you will be fine, you are a splendid ninja and very talented.'

She flushed slightly, 'You really think so?'

He flashed his usual nice-guy pose, 'You know I only speak the youthful truth.'

Sakura looked at him and couldn't help but feel embarrassed, not only because of his compliment but because she always felt a bit out of place when he was overly optimistic and emulated his father.

'Why am I with such a geek?' She sighed, placing a hand to her forehead.

A pair of arms wrapped around her and pulled her into an embrace, 'Because you love me?' He prompted with a wink.

Sakura looked away nonchalantly, put her hands on her hips and said in a bored tone, 'I don't know, I may need some convincing.'

'I think I can fix that.' He replied, flushing slightly at her close proximity.

Her fine eyebrows raised and looked at him, 'Oh really?' came her seductive voice as she begged him to come closer, becoming lost in his earthy scent.

A rough hand travelled down as another raised until very had found their destinations of her lower back and her cheek. She was gently teased closer to him until they kissed deeply. She was soon addicted to his taste and wished they were back in his room where they could stay as they were but she realised where they were and pulled back slightly, in which Lee noticed and immediately ceased.

'Thank you.' She said with a smile and a sigh.

He gently rubbed some life into her cold arms, not needed words to convey his reply. '_No problem.'_

A sudden heavy feeling was felt in her stomach as she contemplated how she could repay him for constantly being there and knowing exactly how to calm her down when she needed it. She knew that she wasn't ready for _that_ yet but she knew that she wanted to. She blushed brightly as Lee looked down into her eyes as she was watching him.

Lee smiled, 'You know that you are really cute when you blush like that,' he said while framing her features with his hand, feeling her heated face.

This made her blush more and look away as she smiled uncontrollably. She loved it when Lee complimented her, she had to considering he did it all the time but it didn't mean that she was used to it yet and whenever he did she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and lowered himself so he was in her line of sight. 'What are you thinking?' He asked confused.

'Um…nothing.' She said not meeting his eyes and starting to rub her hands in anxiety.

'You can tell me.' He was now really curious; he wanted to know whatever she thought, no matter what it was.

'Well,' she drew the word out, she didn't want to tell him but she knew she had no choice, she took a deep breath, 'I-I was kinda thinking about what almost….happened last night….a-and when i-it may actually happen.' Yet again she was red in the face at telling Lee what she was thinking.

Lee could understand why she found it embarrassing but he didn't find it embarrassing that she thought that, in fact he found it quite flattering finding out that your girlfriend thought about things like that with someone like him and wanted it.

He ran his fingers through her soft pink hair and grinned at her, 'My dear Sakura-chan, you only need to tell me you're ready for it and I would be more than happy.' He whispered with a husky tone in her ear.

The door they had been standing outside of slowly creaked open and Lady Tsunade stood in the doorway looking down at the couple in interest.

She cleared her throat and the timid couple leapt apart, 'I hate to break up this….little gathering, but there are people in here who need healed as soon as possible.'

'I am deeply sorry for making her late.' Lee said giving a low bow.

Sakura used this time to try and calm herself down and cool off from her recent bouts of blushing but ended in vain as Lee did something which shocked her. As Lee made to leave, he gently placed a soft kiss on her forehead, held her cheek and whispered, 'Just relax and you'll be fine, just take your time.' He smiled softly and took his leave.

Stepping to one side to allow a crimson-faced Sakura into her office, Lady Tsunade closed the door behind the two of them.

Sakura could see that there were a small variety of people, one of them being one of her teachers and fellow ninja Kakashi. She was confused as to their presence but realised that her medical teacher had told her patients needed attending to. She gathered this was her test in Lady Tsunade's methods. Her heart was slowly beating faster, and not from the presence of the one she loved like before but from fear and nerves. What would happen if she performed the surgery and treatment wrong? She knew of the dangers which may happen if something went wrong and she didn't feel like she should risk it.

Lady Tsunade placed a hand on her student's shoulders which vaguely brought her back to reality. She shook her head violently and gave a nervous smile.

'Each of these patients has a minor injury which I'm sure you can easily treat. There is a small range of medication which you have come across and must administer to patients in some cases, however they are not labelled and you must rely on your knowledge of each one to be able to distinguish between them.'

Sakura took a deep breath; it was a better option than panicking since she knew that's where all the problems occurred. She reached for her gloves she used during her medical training and pulled them on tightly. Steadily she started to work on her patients.

Sakura soon wondered why she even got worried in the first place, this was all things she had easily covered and understood during her lessons. Ranging from a simple sinus infection to a torn muscle, she healed them all and gave them all the right medication (she knew that because she checked twice). Finally there were only two people left, Anko who owned one of the nearby ninja shops, and Kakashi who was sitting leisurely back reading his usual book.

'What's the problem?' Sakura asked rather professionally.

Anko simply lifted her top and Sakura could see a large shard of glass wedged between her ribs almost puncturing her lungs. _'God she must be in a lot of pain.'_ Sakura thought as she started to gently probe around the wound with her healing chakra to assess the damage.

Sakura sighed from relief; it isn't as bad as she had thought and only needed to be removed and the wound remaining had to sealed and bandaged.

'Okay. I'm gonna slowly ease this out and heal it as it leaves. It may hurt a lot but I'm going to try and be as quick as I can. Can I ask you to hold this?' Sakura said as she lifted Anko's shirt up to expose the wound fully.

Sakura looked at her patient waiting for her approval and when Anko nodded nervously she proceeded. She took her time but tried to be as quick as she could, as she pulled at a steady rate and healed the damage as it moved. Sweat was pooling on her forehead as she worked and she could hear painful moans from her patients making her worry that she may have been doing it wrong. The shard of glass sharply gave way and left a large space which soon filled with blood. She quickly dropped the glass and used both hands of healing chakra to stem the bleeding and cause the muscle and ligaments to re-join together leaving eventually only a thin scar.

Expelling a breath of air, Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and admired he handiwork. She had to admit she almost panicked when the glass surprisingly came out as it had but she thought she did a great job. She picked up a long bandage and a tightly wrapped it around her abdomen.

'Thanks.' Anko said with a smile and hopped off the table she was sitting on. She headed out the door and gave a nod as she left.

Turning to her final patient, Sakura headed towards Kakashi.

'So, what's the problem, sensei?' She asked as he hadn't stopped reading the book.

With a slight lazy glance towards her and back to his book he said, 'Isn't that what you're here to find out?'

Sakura looked at him in disbelief, how could she work from nothing? It infuriated her, just as her teacher always had with his lazy laid-back attitude. Even Naruto complained about him, since he was his mentor, and he kept saying how he always talked in riddles and never straight-forward.

She pushed her fury to one side and started to probe him with her healing chakra. She felt confused at first; she couldn't sense anything wrong with him. He had no infection; he had no heightened immune system and no broken bones. There was also no torn ligaments or muscles. He was perfectly healthy. Sakura then felt certain there was nothing wrong with him. She turned to her mentor.

'I'm confused, there's nothing wrong with him.'

Lady Tsunade smiled, 'That was a trick patient, there is nothing wrong with him; that was for you to determine whether there was anything wrong or not.'

She turned back to Kakashi only to find that he had disappeared out the nearest window and off to find a quiet spot do more than likely do nothing.

'Come we must now go into the woods to complete your training.' Lady Tsunade's voice rose to get her attention again.

Sakura nodded and took her gloves off and packed them in her little pouch which contained her immediate supplies for within the field.

She followed her teacher as she headed out the door and locked it after herself.

'I'm proud of you today. You worked quickly and efficiently without making mistakes. I also like the solution you had to the stomach upset, it was rather innovative and not many rookies would have thought about massaging as you have, they would have just simply used the medication to stop the problem. You did your research well in the library and have performed excellently.'

Sakura blushed at the praise she gained, 'I-I knew that it would work well since I've done it on myself loads of times.' She had done a lot of research which wasn't needed within a special hidden section of the library which only ninja knew how to get inside, since it required the use of chakra to get inside.

Lady Tsunade raised her brows, she didn't know that she had done any of this, she knew of the work she done in her lessons but she had not known about any other methods she had practised.

'So does this mean I pass?' Sakura asked curiously.

Lady Tsunade laughed loudly, 'Of course you have. You're the best pupil I've ever had and have learned more quickly than I ever did, but you should tell me when you have done extra research.'

Sakura looked down at her feet as she walked; she felt like she had disappointed her, 'I'm sorry.'

'There's no need to be sorry, it just means that I can set harder challenges for you. Anyway, speaking of telling me things.' She said curiously as she saw a student walk passed them down the hall. Sakura looked up, wondering what she was going to say.

'Since when were you and Lee together?' She asked smiling.

Sakura grew crimson at the question and wondered at how she had known, but after the spectacle caused earlier she realised that was a stupid thought, 'erm… It was a-around that time I was depressed, th-that's why I snapped out of it.' Sakura replied flustered.

'So how did it happen?' She asked excitedly. Sakura looked at her strangely, it was just weird to see a teacher act like a giggling schoolgirl, 'I am still a female too; I still get excited by relationships even if I have to remain professional most the time.'

This change in her mentor's attitude confused her but she also liked it, it was like looking at her future self and she liked it. So she explained the story until it brought her up to the present day.

Lady Tsunade smiled as they walked through the trees, 'I knew you two would have made a great couple, but you still should have told me when it happened.'

'Why?'

'Because if I something were to happen and it caused you two to fall out it would have wrecked my choice of teams for missions which will be starting soon. Also it would have meant I could arrange for you two to have more _alone_ time together.'

Sakura blushed as her mind darted back to the last time they were together and believed that was what she may have been hinting at, she realised that she was almost 18 yet she still hadn't even thought about it let alone be with someone as intimate as this. She started wondering would she really be ready for it, she loved Lee, she loved him a lot and he said that all she would have to do is ask if it was what she wanted, and wasn't it what lovers done when they cared as much as they do about each other. She was so confused but she knew that she would possibly have to talk about it at some point.

'Sakura?' Lady Tsunade said waving her hand in front of her face. She snapped out of her daze as she realised her mentor had been talking to her.

'Sorry?' Sakura asked hoping she would repeat the question or statement she had said.

'I think this is far enough, let's start on your knowledge of jutsu.' Lady Tsunade said.

Sakura pushed all thoughts of her boyfriend to one side and focused on the task at hand, it wasn't like he was going anywhere so she would have time to deal with this problem later. She nodded, 'Right.'

Yet against she flew through that test and came out the other end unscathed, a little tired and needing to replenish her energy levels with a meal before she left for her survival training which constituted of her and Lee to complete a mission together but overall she was fine.

'I would like you and Lee to report to my office ready to leave within the hour so you can be briefed on the content of the mission. See you later.' She said with a wink. Sakura stared blankly after her as she saw her mentor get stranger and stranger. Was all this because me and Lee are together? She wondered but then felt the chill of the wind get to her and she hurried off inside to get warm, have some food and find Lee.

Instead of searching around the school grounds, she just decided to call Lee as she headed to get something to eat and pick up her bag. It rang three times before a bright voice answered.

'Hello?' She could almost see the smile he had causing her to giggle.

'Hey, Lee-kun.'

'Sakura-chan…How did it go?' He said sounding alert and his voice had a hint of worry.

'Great' She said secretly pleased with herself, 'we need to meet Lady Tsunade in around an hour…I'm just heading to the dinnerhall, do you want to meet me there?'

He thought for a moment, 'Which hallway are you in?'

Sakura, confused, replied, 'Erm…the east side.'

'I'll be there in a flash.' She could almost hear the laugh in his voice as he hung up.

She looked at her phone in disbelief and carried on walking, there was no way that he could manage to get here in such a short space of time. But, as she walked round the corner she remembered his speed without his weights as she saw him at the end of the hall waiting for her lazily against the wall. A bright smile came to her face as saw him, as she saw his cheeky grin as he waited for her.

She couldn't control her feet as she hurried down the hall towards his open arms. Unexpectedly he sped at his super-fast speed towards her as she fell into him with a soft 'thump' when he appeared in front of her before she expected. Her arms fell around his waist and looped around, pulling herself so she was nestled as close as she could to his chest hearing strong heart.

Sakura looked up to see his expression; she noticed it was a smug look. 'Can you at least act like you are normal?' She questioned, glad that nobody was around as she knew that this was usually a busy corridor around this time.

'That's never as fun though.' He said smiling as he brushed a strand of hair which fell at their collision.

Sakura sighed as she pulled out from the embrace and pulled him along with her.

Lee's face fell. He didn't know what was wrong. 'S-sakura-chan? Is everything okay?'

'Yeah everything's fine,' she said with a strained face as she could feel her stomach churning, 'just hungry.'

Feeling relieved, Lee hurried up and pulled her along.

She saw his broad shoulders and how she longed to rub them softly and ease some tension he had been feeling from worrying about her. Her face flushed as images ran through her head of gently massaging his body as soft moans of her name passed through his quivering lips while she teased him over and over again. Maybe she would have to re-think her 'waiting to when she felt ready' plan.

For the second time, they were both standing outside Lady Tsunade's office, except this time Sakura was feeling more confident and looking forward to the mission they were going to be given. She freely held onto him as she knocked on the door with her free hand. Upon command she pushed hard against the door and it opened fully as they walked in and stood formally at her desk waiting to be addressed.

Lady Tsunade was just finishing off signing a set of forms which was set to one side; she placed her hands in front of her and looked up at the two young shinobi.

'Ah, there you two are,' she briefly smiled, 'are you two ready for your mission?'

They both nodded. 'Your mission is to travel to this forest,' she indicated a position on a map of the rather large land of fire, 'there has been an scroll of great importance which has been left here by a neighbouring country containing details of major criminals which are in need of tracking down. You two are to find this map and return here. There is only one problem, to make sure that the people who have given us this scroll remains anonymous they have hidden it somewhere in the forest for us to find while they can leave and return home without raising suspicion.'

Lady Tsunade stood up and walked to a table nearby, she handed them a smaller compact map, 'Here is a map of the area they have reported it is located, as you can see it is a very large area and may take you may days to find it. I hope to see you by next weekend.'

'It shall be done.' Lee said, giving his usual formal bow. Sakura gave a tight nod as she felt a little nervous about her first mission. They took the forms which were handed to them and left the room.

**Again I am so sorry about the late update and I promise I will keep on top of this properly although without letting my college work deteriorate.**** Please review and let me know how I did with this chapter, I feel like I did quite well in writing it, except for the last bit when I had not wrote for a long time and I couldn't write anything (writers block sucks and you can blame that for the late update****).**


	20. Chapter 20:Cave

**Heyhey, It's another chapter from me. I've bashed this chapter out quite quickly (within a week) because it will be much harder to update when we we back to college (in a few days) :/ Also have work this weekend too.**

**Anyways, I hope I did a really good job at this chapter, it is the first chapter with the use of jutsu's so I'm looking forward to some more later on when the action starts happening :]**

**On to the story...**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

The red-head awoke with a start. A shaking hand raised to wipe the sweat which was pooling on his creased forehead.

Same dream again, Gaara thought, how long has it been since they started? He never got the answer as a burning headache washed over him as if the fires of hell had awoken within him, threatening to take him with them before they burned out. His face formed a scowl as he headed to the bathroom he shared with his father, brother and sister to wash in cold water to hopefully spark some life into his death-like state.

His headache had eased and he had soon decided it was a decent time to get up.

After getting changed into more respectable clothes, he went downstairs to find that his family were still asleep. Pfft, figures he thought as he made himself some toast and sat on the window ledge looking out at the village he lived in. He saw the village surrounded by a thick natural rock wall, giving some protection from the sandstorms raging in the desert which enveloped the outer perimeter of the village. The sun was bearing down on the hot sands and dirt, and even for winter, it was a warm day.

Instead of waiting for his family to get up he decided to walk to his Grandma Chiyo's and meet them there. Quickly writing a short note explaining what he was doing and grabbing a thin jacket, he strode out the house closing the door quietly and headed off to a nearby park. He was glad to get out of the house, he needed to have some time away from the place to go somewhere he could be alone and try to sort out his problems. So he went to the park that he and Sakura used to go to when they were younger, it held a lot of fond memories for him and he enjoyed thinking about then, when times were easier and more simple.

When he arrived he saw the familiar children's playground and smiled softly. He closed his eyes revealing the heavy black of his eyelids and pictured them playing as they had once before. He almost believed it until he opened his eyes and saw it empty, sighing deeply he walked on until he found his bench and sat down slowly. He could feel the lethargy in his bones and eyes as he relaxed, and knew that he really needed to have some sleep, but with these dreams he could only manage a few hours a night at best over the last few months, since she left he added.

He really missed his best friend (not that he would ever admit it out loud to anyone but her), things were different since Sakura left, he was more secluded than ever and he knew that she kept him whole by just being there. He hated the fact that he couldn't just walk down the road and pop in on her whenever he liked and see her but he knew this was a fact he had to live with.

He was also sure that if it wasn't for this dream which kept haunting him every time he slept he would feel much better, the lack of sleep made him become more cranky and caused him to push away anyone who tried to help him, like his family. If these dreams would only stop then maybe he could be able to live a slightly more normal life than he has been.

But the questions were, why was he having these dreams? What did they mean? And is it going to happen?

He forgot how many times he dwelled on it and each time he came to the same conclusion, he didn't know.

He was about to shout out in anger and grip his hair as he saw a strange man walk past him giving him a look of comfort at the younger boys distressed face. Gaara thought he seemed rather out of place for Suna, he was wearing a green spandex jumpsuit with a padded vest zipped up over it, he had ebony hair which framed his face and large eyebrows looming over a pair of gentle eyes. Gaara's village was a small one and he knew that he had never seen this man before and he found it odd. Just by the man's presence as he walked by had managed to calm him down and allowed him to think rationally and so he started to systematically work his way through his dream.

He had the same dream every night and each night a terrible monster is released within him and he kills his family, he shuddered at this thought. The monster was unlike he had ever seen before and it seemed to mould to his body like an encasement of sand around him. This he determined was what was going to happen if it did, what he then needed to know was what would happen afterwards, would it just end with his family or would he endanger the whole village too? He left that as it was and hoped the dreams gave him more of an indication of what happens next when he fell asleep again later.

As for why he could only gather that because the beast is released from him, it was up to him to stop it from happening and by seeing these dreams meant he could. He almost laughed at how crazy it sounded by it was the best he could come up with. The dreams never gave any indication as to when this would happen, it could be today or it could be years away, he couldn't exactly prepare for it when he didn't know when.

As he did every time he tried to understand the dream he has been seeing, he came to a dead end and realised he still isn't any closer to actually coming up with any answers to the questions he has.

Gaara pushed himself off from the bench realising that he should be heading off. He smiled, maybe I should just ask the monster within him to explain it all, he thought absurdly.

…**Grgh **

A deep growl erupted from nowhere and Gaara looked around to see the source of it but could see nobody around. To him it sounded like a grunt in approval. Unsure of what to make of it he ignored it and believed he imagined it.

Within the deepest part of Gaara, unbeknownst to him, a pair of narrow black-rimmed tanuki eyes slowly opened. **…Soon… **escaped from the mouth of the beast within and a large evil smirk glinted in the dark pits of Gaara's soul.

Once again Sakura felt herself confined within a sleeping bag as she tried to stretch out once awakening. It was the third day in their expedition and was the second day searching the area for the scroll they needed to complete their mission. The tent the had pitched was small and thin, failing to protect from the cold so she had spent most of the night hunched up in a ball conserving heat and stopping it from escaping which caused her muscles and bones to ache. She shivered as she unzipped the bag and she stepped into the neatly folded cotton poncho and stepped outside, she heard the distinct sound of a fire blazing a few meters away and looked to see Lee prodding it with a stick to tease it into burning better.

Kneeling behind him, Sakura placed her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly, stealing his warmth. As expected her heard her as she had left the tent and wasn't surprised at all, instead he held her hand and gave a goofy smile.

'Good morning Sakura-chan,' He said brightly to match the brightness of the sun as it reflected against the fresh layer of snow which fell during the night, 'Did you sleep well?'

Letting go and sitting next to him waiting for his arm to wrap around her, she giggled, 'Better now I'm used to it, but it was still cold.'

Rubbing some warmth into her arms as the fire started radiating a good amount of heat, 'It's going to be much warmer tonight than it has been. I wish there was something more I can do.' The night before he had been very gentlemanly and he held her close to share his body warmth from the confines of his own sleeping bag. This was not the weather or the situation to warm up in other ways.

'You did the best you could, and it's more than enough. Thank you. I hope it didn't hinder your sleep at all.' She said a little guiltily but at least Lee didn't pick up on the tone or if he did he didn't give any indication that he had.

'I was fine.' He didn't give any details but he spent most of the night as he felt her shiver violently in her sleep beside him and couldn't help but be worried for her so he stayed awake to make sure she was okay. He knew that he is able to fight and run around while he was asleep or passed out so he would be fine either way, of course he would never tell her that since she worried about him enough without adding more fuel to the fire.

Instead of adding more he reached for the food pills they had so they could travel lighter than they had. They had to bring the tent and sleeping bags, they definitely couldn't survive in this climate without something to keep the element from direct contact with them, but why should they be carrying packets of food which would not only weigh them down but take up valuable space in their rucksacks.

He gently handed one to Sakura making sure it didn't roll away and then chewed it as he could feel his stomach aching for the food he was chewing. Sakura sighed after she has swallowed.

'I miss real food.' She said as she stared into the now roaring fire.

Lee looked over at her face. He could tell that she missed being back at the Academy with friends and other things people take for granted and considering it was her first time being away and being on a mission. 'We'll have found it by today and be home by tomorrow, and if I am wrong I have to run 1000 laps of the Academy track upon our return.' He said giving a thumbs up and flashing a grin.

She smiled, she knew he would do it and believed he was crazy but she already knew that anyway. 'Well if that's the case we best be on our way now and have more time to thoroughly search the next area on our map.'

She stood up and lent a hand to pull him up.

They worked double time putting the tent down, folded and stuffed into a backpack along with sleeping bags but it was still done within minutes.

'Shall I let you deal with putting out the fire?' Lee offered graciously.

Sakura grinned as it meant she had a chance to use one of her jutsu's which she had been researching and practising.

She took a deep breath and built up enough chakra, she realised she was getting better at this as it instantly took seconds rather than about a minute.

'I.' She placed her hands facing down, palms together with her fingers curled up. 'Inu.' Her hands pulled apart and returned with the right hand clenched in a fist and her left hand flat on top of it. 'Hitsuji.' Hands pulled once more and came back with the first two fingers of her right hand pointing up with the other two curled up and the same on the other hand except the curled fingers were curled over the back of the right hand. 'Suiton hahonryuu.'

Water swirled upon the surface of her palm like her hand was the center of a whirlpool and once she sent a jolt of chakra down her outstretched arm, the water came funnelling like a jet towards the fire; it was extinguished with a hiss as the fire was cooled and there was nothing up a small cloud of steam as some water was vaporised before the fire went out.

Sakura enjoyed performing that jutsu as it was one of her more graceful techniques and it came in handy for situations like this. It was one of the skills which she had taught herself from observing Naruto's rasengan, changing the element type and drawing . It drew out water from her surroundings and used it in the formation of the jet of water as her chakra directed in the direction she wanted. Small amounts of chakra could be used in this way but if she used a lot it could become a deadly attack to push her opponent back.

She rubbed her hand against her clothes to wipe off the excess water and then looked at Lee, 'So how'd I do?'

Handing her a bottle of water and kissed the top of her head, 'Why do you ask me? It's your jutsu.'

She smiled, she was glad he knew that using the jutsu drained her and she had to replenish her stores of water quickly. It was much harder to do when there was no water around since she has to use the water which is within her body to generate the element. When water is present the chakra acts as a magnet to the water molecules and attracts them to the palm of her hand. She had ordered a set of water bombs down at a weapon's store in the village, to make using this jutsu easier, or at least until she managed to transform the chakra's structure until it became the element.

She downed half the bottle and put it in a pocket of her bag. 'Shall we go then?'

Lee seemed to enter professional mode and nodded curtly, as the pair left the area they had made camp at swiftly and sped through the trees they had planned to search.

It was getting close to nightfall before they took a small break to rest and cross off the places they had searched. They had covered just over half of the map and were still no closer to finding the scroll.

'How about we look at this area now?' Lee said while gesturing to a large expanse nestled in between cliffs on three sides, 'There should be plenty of caves along the outskirts which we can take shelter in for the night after our search. Sound good?'

Sakura looked at the maps and nodded, 'If you believe it's best.'

Lee sighed, 'I want to know your opinion on the matter too.'

Sakura shrugged, 'I trust your judgement, personally I'm tired and I believe it would be best to make camp now and pick it up again in the morning.'

'We'll do that then. I don't want to push you too hard.'

Sakura smiled and shook her head briefly, 'no, we'll keep going. The sooner we get this scroll, the sooner we can go home and be done with it. If that means we keep going then I think I can live with that.'

Lee closed his eyes and had to think for a moment, he didn't want her to feel that she had to push herself to keep up with him and the pace he is used to. He had to remember that this was her first time in this situation and that he couldn't afford to allow her to do something that she was unable to do. However he also couldn't go against her wishes either.

'Very well.' He said finally as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a shining smile from the girl in front of him.

'Thank you.' She spoke as she buried her face against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.

'What are we going to do with you?' He said with a smirk and placing his hands upon her shoulders.

Sakura giggled lightly as her cheeks grew red, 'I can think of plenty of things but it would have to wait until we get home.' She raised her eyebrows and smiled gently.

Lee couldn't speak after that, he knew what she was implying and became choked up. He was insanely happy, of course he was, but he couldn't help but think it was too early to even consider it. Maybe he was just trying to postpone it because he personally wasn't ready himself rather than not forcing her into something.

He sighed contently and put his head on her shoulder, 'I promise we'll try soon, just not yet, okay?'

She leaned away from him to look in his eyes, 'promise?'

He nodded and smiled as he caressed her cheek softly.

Sakura giggled and leant towards him, 'I'll hold you to that.' Closing her eyes she waited for him to make his move.

Not being able to resist, Lee moved towards her and soon their lips were joined. Her hands raised to hang around his neck and to run her fingers through his hair. A soft moan escaped her lips before they parted for air.

Lee chuckled, 'Sakura-chan, remember that we are working and should remain professional.'

Sakura sighed and let go, 'you're right, as usual. We should go now so we can make camp earlier.'

The overcast sky, suddenly started spewing the pent up rain causing them to become soaked to the skin. However they couldn't stop to find shelter and dry off because they had found human tracks in the area. Since this was a very remote part of the forest they didn't believe it was random walkers. No, they believed it was the messengers meaning that the scroll was somewhere in the vicinity.

'Makes you wish we had Neji with us, huh?' Sakura joked. Neji's byakugan would have detected the scroll much easier without as much work.

Lee nodded as he looked around at all the nooks and crannies as they ran through the trees.

Sakura had to wipe the rain from her eyes and out of the corner of her eyes she saw something red, but when she looked again she couldn't see it. She stopped with a loud sound of her feet hitting the wood of the trees. Lee heard this and stopped to look behind him, he saw her gazing off into a cluster of trees.

'Hey Lee-kun, I think I found it.' She called out as she turned to face him.

Lee looked around and he couldn't see it. 'Where?' he asked as he jumped back to join her.

'I saw a flash of red just back there but when I looked again I had past it.' She started re-tracing her steps and she kept looking in the general direction of where she saw it.

Then, imbedded in the roots of an old tree, she saw the flash of red she saw, it was in the shape of a scroll. She'd done it, she'd found it. She leapt from the tree to the ground with a swish of her clothes and she landed at the base less than a second later, it was almost as if she had vanished from her position and had suddenly appeared where she had. The ground splashed mud in a large circle as she landed. Giving a gentle tug, the scroll was pulled out of its confinements and was now in her hand. Without giving it a second thought she put it in her medical pouch and went back to where Lee was waiting patiently.

'Is it the right one?' He said.

She was so happy she couldn't speak so all she could was smile and nod. He grabbed her hand and started heading to a cliff face which was just visible above the tree-tops.

A small opening was visible in the rock face which was large enough to fit through and it led to a medium sized cave. They had sense to pick up some dry pieces of wood during the daylight hours and they quickly set up a fire in the middle of the cave. There were small holes in the ceiling which allowed ventilation so the smoke could escape. It was a perfect place to rest for the night and make their way back tomorrow morning.

'Sakura-chan…' Lee said tailing off at the end as if he was trying to think of how to phrase what he was going to say.

'What is it Lee-kun?' A cold shiver ran up her spine making her freezing all over, the breath became visible as he hands shook.

Lee blushed brightly, 'We are both soaked to the skin in these clothes and they will probably not be dry until morning. We cannot stay in these clothes or we shall freeze, so I must ask something of you…' Sakura noticed the change of tone in his voice and she knew he was nervous about something, 'I-I must ask you to take them off and get in your sleeping bag.'

Sakura grew bright. It would be the first time she had ever stripped to her underwear in his presence and she was suddenly embarrassed about how her body looked. What if he didn't like what he saw? Would he leave her? Go back on his promise? She couldn't be sure but she knew he was right and she had to do it.

'I promise I won't look,' He said turning away and started getting the sleeping bags ready, 'there's something else too… We have to share our body heat, I can see how cold you are and you need to heat up quickly and naturally. I'm sorry.' He zipped them so both of them we together so it was like a double sized cocoon. He gently placed it behind him and then headed off towards the entrance and looked out at the night sky while he waited to be called from within.

Sakura watched as he went, her heart raced as she started to peel the icy cold uniform from her and placed it at a safe distance by the fire to dry quicker. When she was finally down to her underwear she slid herself into the thick sleeping bag.

'Le-lee-kun, you can come back now?' She said unnaturally high as her nerves got to her. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest and into the blazing fire as she watched him walk back. She could tell he was nervous too, so she politely turned away from him as he proceeded to strip down to his boxers. It hardly took him long at all, Sakura could see him in her mind's eye as he unzipped the flak jacket and pull at his spandex suit until he pulled them off and laid them down neatly. She could see the rain flatten his hair so it just hung over his eyes and as the individual droplets trail down his toned muscles until they finally leave his warm body for the cold floor.

She pulled her knees to her chest as she shivered, not with the cold but from desire. She didn't want anybody more than she did now but the biting cold in her joints stopped her from being able to.

Soon she felt rustling as he slid in beside her, she could feel the warmth next to her as it radiated from him. Lee placed a hand on her arm and gasped as he felt how cold she was.

'Sakura-chan, you're freezing.' He said as his arms wrapped around her body so his chest was right against her back and his hands rested upon her belly, his legs close to hers and his crotch right against her. He didn't even care anymore about the awkwardness, he only wanted to get her warm and he could only do that if he was as close as he was.

Sakura's blood rushed to her face as she could feel where he had manuvered himself, she was grateful for the thought behind it but she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She could feel the warmth seep through her skin as it eased the ache in her muscles, so she moved herself so her legs were right along side his as his knees bent.

'Mmmm, thank you. I'm starting to feel much better.' She said as her mind started to go blank, she knew she was close to sleep as she had pushed herself harder today than usual.

'It's what I'm here for, just rest, you'll feel so much better in the morning. Just think of your comfy bed, you'll be in it this time tomorrow.'

Her voice sounded as if a laugh, 'Yeah.' She nodded slightly and her breathing eased into a natural sleeping form.

**Would like to thank my reviews for last chapter and a new reviewer, I hope you continue to review and help me show where I've gone wrong and where I can improve ^-^**


	21. Chapter 21:Reunion

**Hey guys, I'm back again...but only briefly. This chapter was wrote about a month ago now and has been kept as a back up in case my college work gets too much, which it has :( so the next chapter will be uploaded (and wrote) a month from now, when I finish this years course, then I should get lots written in my 2 1/2 month holiday before I start again. Sorry about all this but everything is stressful with a lot of other stuff making it worse and just can't concentrate on writing. However to make up for it this chapter is one of my longest (or could even be my longest one) and I did enjoy writing it. Anyway enough ranting, and on with the story**

****Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

Darkness. Darkness surrounded her as she struggled to find some source of light. She was blind, as the black crushed her, making her claustrophobic. Her heart beat erratically as she panicked. She felt like she was in a maze but she couldn't find the exit. She kept looking around as if she could feel herself being watched, but all she could see was the darkness around her, as if a blanket of black smoke was stopping her from interacting in any way with the outside world.

A deep laugh erupted from all around her and caused her to flinch violently. She whipped her head around looking for the source but couldn't. He was scared, her body was shaking.

'Wh-who's there?' She called out hoping for an answer but not actually expecting one.

'…It's time.' Eyes opened with a snap and she stared into the large aqua shaded eyes which were once so familiar to her. Teeth glinted as the shape smiled and giggled.

With a lurch, her whole body thrust forward as she awoke from her nightmare. She was sobbing uncontrollably and she couldn't control her breathing. She didn't have time to calm herself down before she was jumped on.

'Sakura-chan? What's wrong?' Lee said quickly as he hurried to her side.

Tears just ran down her face as she struggled to speak.

'Take your time. Deep breaths.' He commanded. She did as she was told and eventually she had managed to slow her heart beat and breathing rate to a bearable pace.

'It…was just a bad dream,' She smiled fakely, 'nothing to worry about at all.'

Lee reached and wiped away the tears which continued to fall, 'something tells me that isn't true, maybe it's the tears.'

Her smile faltered as she collapsed into his arms and held onto him tightly. She needed his support. The dream she had couldn't ease her mind to the fact that there was something wrong back at home, and Gaara was in the middle of it. It's time? What did it mean by that? What is time? That dream where he lost control, is it going to happen now?

She couldn't handle her best friend becoming a mindless monster; she knew that the Gaara she knew and grew up with would never be able to do that even if he didn't get along with his family much, he wouldn't slaughter them. She didn't want to believe it yet she knew it was true and that was what was killing her. She wasn't there for him and she didn't know what was going to happen afterwards, she was scared.

She pulled back and wiped her eyes.

'Better now?' She nodded, 'good, I'm sure you used up all your lifetime supply of tears now.'

A short laugh left her throat as she started to smile. She shivered and as she looked down she could see the faint outline of her lacy seductive red bra in the morning light. Her face became as red as her underwear. Lee followed her gaze and found himself staring at the large breasts resting against his muscularly chest.

Sakura looked back up and noticed that his gaze had wandered.

'Kyaaaaaaa!' She screamed as she thrust her hands up and forced his gaze to the ceiling, 'don't look!' She pulled the covers up around her so she was wrapped up in a cocoon with only her head visible.

Lee finally let his head down and looked back at her with a shameful look. 'I'm sorry, I couldn't help it.'

Her face was still burning, 'it's okay, I just was embarrassed by my body because I don't like it and you were staring so I became uncomfortable.'

'Hey! You shouldn't be embarrassed, you're beautiful and you shouldn't be ashamed of it.' He said forcefully.

'But…'

'No buts.' He brought his face close to hers, 'yes you are, don't complain, it's the truth.'

Sakura sighed, 'if you say so.'

He gently kissed her, 'of course I do,' he smiled and stood up, 'it's time to go home, I'll wait just outside for you.'

Once his back was turned and he was walking away, she pulled at the sleeping bag and stood up, examining herself. She noticed that she had a flatter more toned stomach and the flab which she knew used to be in her arms had gone and the lean shape of muscle replaced it. She looked surprised, she had wondered what Lee saw in her but that was only because she had took her old appearance into account, she never realised how much she had changed over the time she had been away from home. It must have been due to all the training and eating a healthier diet than she had been.

She smiled shyly as she had remembered the way he looked at her and she had to put her hands on her cheeks to stop them from appearing red even though there was nobody around she was still embarrassed about being embarrassed.

Soft whistling from the entrance to the cave brought her back to reality as she looked around for her clothes which she had found were neatly folded next to her. They were dry and she was pleased about it, she hated the feel of damp clothes and the thought of having to spend almost all day travelling back to the Academy in damp clothing didn't fill her with joy.

She gently pulled the material over her head and when she was fully changed she snuck up behind Lee and cheekily jumped on him. She laughed loudly as they both ended up trying to pin each other down and finished with Lee tickling her.

'S-stop it.' She said through fits of laughter as Lee stopped and pinned her hands above her head and his knees on either side of her abdomen. He smiled as he had her right where he wanted her.

'So now you are my prisoner, huh?' He asked as he raised a large eyebrow, he lowered himself so he was resting gently against her body, 'was there any need?'

Her cheeks grew red and she stammered, 'i-it was f-fun.' She giggled shyly as she tried pull out of his grip but instead of loosening, it tightened holding her there as she struggled pitifully underneath the rather large and strong male above her.

His eyes seemed to glaze over as he looked at her seductively causing her to bite her lip gently. She can't say she had ever seen this assertive, seductive and, well, sexy side of him before and it made her squirm in excitement and she loved it. Without her realising he had leant down and started tracing his jaw with the tips of his lips leaving soft trails along her skin, unconsciously her head pulled back to allow him better access and a soft moan left her lips.

'Lee-kun? Why?' She breathed out breathlessly.

'Because it's fun,' he repeated the same words as she said before as she could feel his hot breath on her neck making her shiver briefly but as quickly as he came closer he pulled away, 'I can stop if you want.'

Him? Stop? Never, she wanted this. She wanted to have him closer. 'Please. Don't stop.' was all she could say, it seemed that Lee could see pain through her eyes for some reason.

He returned to her neck and continued to caress it. He lightly bit it resulting in Sakura squirming under him, his tongue gently swept across the red area, causing the breathing rate of Sakura to increase rapidly. He moved up to her face and looked in her large green eyes, seeing the desire she experienced mirroring his own and that spurred him on.

Sakura tried to pull herself up to meet his lips with her own but the grip around her arms forced her to remain where she was; he teased her by staying out of her reach. She whimpered at his teasing as her brain urged her to keep moving forward to meet him but she couldn't. He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her softly but deeply as his own mind told him to. It was instinct; he couldn't control it as he leaned closer towards her, taking care not to hurt her.

By moving, Lee deepened the kiss between them and caused Sakura to bite down on Lee's bottom lip. He gasped loudly from the shock of it. A metallic tang could be tasted by both as blood seeped from the incision. Sakura's tongue traced the wound and lapped at it, to stop the bleeding. It was strange to her but she enjoyed the taste it brought to her, she also enjoyed the moans from Lee she received as she touched the tender skin. She enjoyed it all, as in really enjoyed it and she could help but thrust her hips up slightly coming into contact with Lee, feeling the beginnings of a rather hard object in his pants.

She fought to wrap her arms around him but before she could it was all cut too short. Lee stood up, pulling up a startled Sakura by the wrists until she stood on her own feet. He squeezed her hands gently and gave a quick grin, letting go of her hands and walking back to pack up.

She shakily sat down on a rock, she had no idea what had happened. Why did he suddenly stop? She had no idea, but it was only when she felt his soft, bandaged hands on her face wiping away tears, did she realise she was crying.

'Why do you do that? Start seducing me and then stop and carry on with something.' She said trying to keep her voice steady.

'Only because I want you so much but someone has to remember the situation. First time you were drunk, the start of this mission we were out in the hallway and yesterday we were out in the open. I wouldn't have been able to control myself if I didn't stop before and I'm sure you wouldn't want your first time to be in a cave without any protection.' He said explaining, trying to show Sakura how much he cared for her and how much he wanted it but something always got in the way.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly, she knew that someone had to take control and be the one to instigate and stop anything but she still didn't like being rejected like she has been but she knew he was right. This wasn't the time or the place, all she wanted was to go home and have a good shower. 'Let's just go home. Please.'

She pulled away and walked to the entrance of the cave without looking back at Lee. She wasn't in a mood or upset with Lee, he did the right thing, she was mad at herself for constantly losing control around him in moment like that and being selfish enough to be like this when he did push her away. Why don't someone just shoot me now before I screw up his life? She was probably just still feeling emotional from waking up in such a bad way.

She heard Lee exit the cave just behind her with one of the bags and she had automatically picked up one herself as she left. She waited for Lee to head off in the correct direction and she followed him closely as they flitted through the tree at high speed.

The journey was generally quiet; neither really spoke to each other. Sakura was trying to keep to herself for a bit and Lee was giving the time and space she needed because he understood how it felt. They hardly stopped for breaks and they arrived back at the Academy in early evening around 5pm. Feeling exhausted they immediately went to Lady Tsunade's office and knocked on the door urgently.

'Come in.' they heard an annoyed voice from the other side of the door.

Sakura pushed open the door and stood on the opposite side of the desk to her and placed the scroll in front of her.

'Here it is.' Sakura said as Lady Tsunade opened it. Inside of it there was strange markings but upon the addition of chakra within a circle surrounded by the markings, a book appeared. It was a Bingo Book, a book which was used to contain information on the most powerful criminals and rouge ninja which are alive.

Lady Tsunade flicked it open and went through a few pages and then smiled and put it down. 'Our allies have given us one of their Bingo Books since we produce the best ninja around they have asked that we help them in their endeavours. Thank you Sakura, Lee, this will help improve relations with our allies and we can get to work on trying to find and remove these criminals from society.'

She sat back down at her table and started shuffling through a few papers, there was a memo she was going to pass on to Sakura, something she should know but she decided against it since she would find out soon enough. 'You passed. You are now a genin, just like your classmates.'

Sakura smiled and fell into the chair beside her in relief, she was worried she wouldn't make it through the preliminary training but now she had much more trials in her life ahead with this line of work but at the present moment she could care less. She passed, and she was pleased.

'Now, I'm sure you are tired so take the rest of the week off and I shall see you very soon. You did well.' Lady Tsunade gave a knowing look at the two of them and spun in her chair and looked out the window, giving the signal that they were dismissed.

Now Sakura was back home the bag she had on her back weighed a tonne and she could feel it in her muscles as she walked.

After reaching her dorm and before she opened the door, Lee held her hand gently. The interaction made Sakura look up in surprise at the lack of it today.

'Congratulations,' he said smiling and gave a soft peck on the cheek, 'when you've caught up with everyone and had a shower, please come round to mine.' He said and without a reply he headed down the hall a little. Sakura stood there as she usually did waiting until he entered his dorm before she opened the door to hers.

As she opened the door and dropped her bags, she was instantly jumped on by Ino, as she gave her a large hug.

'Sakura! You're home. How'd it go? Did you pass? Phew, no offence but you smell.' Ino said excitedly as Sakura stood there slightly dazed at seeing her friend again.

'Hey Ino,' she said smiling brightly, 'it all went fine, great actually, I passed. I'm so pleased, but it still feels like I'm in a dream.'

Ino smiled as Sakura picked up her bag and started to drag it to her room, 'it usually does, but I'm so pleased for you, well done. I'm sure everyone will say the same.'

Her room was exactly as she remembered it being but the feel of the bed felt more like heaven than it had before, she couldn't wait to crawl in tonight and have a really good night's sleep.

Then a thought occurred to Sakura, 'where is everyone?' she asked curiously.

'Well Tenten is with Neji as expected, but you will not believe what happened when you were away.' Ino said excitedly as she usually did when there was some really good gossip.

'What's that?' Sakura prompted.

'Naruto and Hinata became a couple; it only came out two days ago.'

Sakura smiled, 'so they finally went public huh?' She thought, making a mental note to congratulate them on it at some point.

'You knew?' Ino said slightly disappointed in her news not being taken as a surprise.

Sakura chuckled, 'I was the one who suggested it. I suggested that Hinata may like him, although I already knew that, and that they may make a good couple. That was just after I rejected him.'

'B-but why didn't you tell me?' Ino pouted.

'I couldn't even tell Lee until Naruto came out and told him himself.' Sakura said upset, she didn't like hiding things from her friend, but it wasn't like it was hiding, more like not telling her the truth.

Ino cheered up immensely, 'speaking of that, how are things with you and him? Did anything happen between you two?' She gushed with a wink but then she saw Sakura's face as she clenched tighter at the pillow she had absent-mindedly picked up and she felt stupid for bringing it up. 'Oh god, tell me everything.'

So she did, Sakura told her everything what happened between the two of them since yesterday and the events of this morning and even included the whole story about her first dream about Gaara as a monster and the one she awoke from this morning. Surprisingly, Ino was a good listener and waited patiently until she had finished telling everything before she spoke.

'So how do you feel now?' She asked to get a full picture of the situation.

'I don't know. I mostly just feel stupid for letting my hormones control me and that I acted as I have all day.' Sakura said honestly.

Ino had to think for a minute, she honestly thought Sakura was just being stupid but it's not like she's had such a close friend like Gaara for the many years that she had and felt such strong feelings towards him, like a family bond. She couldn't understand how it would feel to see the things she has been seeing and then act normal so she couldn't really say anything about that.

'The only thing which I can really suggest is to go and explain this all to him and apologise for how you acted.'

Sakura nodded, 'you're right. At least I'll get a chance soon, he's asked me to come round after I finish here, I can explain then.' She smiled, she could see Lee taking all the blame and trying to make it up to me and not the other way around, the way it should be. She almost laughed but held back. 'I had better start getting sorted and head over there then.'

Ino got up from her seat and headed to the door, 'I'm guessing you won't be back tonight then?'

Sakura shrugged briefly, 'I don't know, the call of my bed is almost impossible for me to resist but I don't think so.'

Smiling, Ino left the room and called out, 'I'll see you tomorrow then.'

Sakura got herself ready quickly, as she speedily but thoroughly washed her hair and body. After that she dried off and dried and straightened her hair and with the addition of a deep red ribbon instead of her Konoha head-band, she only had to change. She had already chosen her clothes before she started so she just pulled the clothes on. She had chosen a pair of cool-grey leggings with a khaki skirt which reached her knees; she paired that with a dark red shirt with long arms and a thin white jumper to go over it. She was ready to go after she had squirted a small amount of perfume over herself. She really wanted to make a good impression, she needed to do something to hopefully make him forgive her and she had to do everything she could to do it otherwise she wouldn't feel like she deserved it.

Soon after she was standing outside his door waiting for him to answer. Almost as if he was on the other side of the door already, he opened as soon as he heard the knock. He appeared to be anxious about something but Sakura dismissed it and walked in as he gestured.

He handed her a large glass with a red liquid within it, she took it gingerly and took a sip, she could feel the familiar tang to it as she remembered that she had drank this recently. It was wine.

'I thought you couldn't handle alcohol.' She said curiously.

'I have not tried recently, but I knew you enjoyed it so I got it for you.' He said as he took a drink of water and led her to the couch.

She shook her head slightly, she knew he would do something like this, blaming himself for it all even though he hasn't come out and said it, she could tell just by his tone of voice and his mannerisms. 'You didn't have to do this though.'

'I still want to apologise for what happened during the mission.' He said sadly, he felt guilty about the whole thing but he only wanted to take her long-term feelings in consideration.

She let him finish before she gently placed a hand over his mouth to stop him from carrying on. 'I don't accept your apology. Only because you were never in the wrong. This was all my fault, I let my hormones control me and it caused this, I'm sorry.' To her it felt like days since she had actually spoke to Lee as she had but it felt unbelievable it was only this morning.

He softly stroked her cheek until she removed her hand, 'We were both in the wrong, I don't believe you caused any of this and vice versa to you. Let's just put it behind us and keep moving forward rather than looking back at the past events.'

Sakura smiled and nodded as she gave his hand a squeeze, she leant in close to him so his arm was draped over her shoulders and her head was on his shoulder.

'Besides,' Lee started, 'you tempt me too much, especially when you look like you do. You're beautiful.' He inhaled deeply at the usual sweet strawberry scent she always carried.

Sakura blushed at the compliment, she would never get used to the never-ending compliments he had for her, even if she didn't believe some of them it was still nice to hear them. 'Thanks, you aren't so bad yourself.' She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him.

A sudden wave of lethargy swept over her as she could feel her body shutting down from the mission she had completed.

'Sakura-chan?' Lee called to her and shook gently not to disturb her too much, 'are you hungry?'

She looked up blearily. She hadn't thought about it but her tummy growled in reply. Smiling and nodding, Lee went into the kitchen and a few minutes later came back with two plates.

'Here you are. Sea bass with ginger, chilli and spring onions.' Sakura looked in amazement. 'I wanted to celebrate you becoming a true ninja and I thought I would cook you dinner. Hope you like it.'

She started eating and her face showed Lee that she was enjoying it. He was enjoying watching her reaction as she ate that he didn't start eating. She noticed him staring at her and she turned away, blushing brightly. 'Why are you staring?' She asked shyly.

He smiled brightly at her, not his goofy grin but a soft sweet smile. 'It amused me to watch you eat.' He gathered he was embarrassing her a lot so he stopped and started on his meal.

Sakura had determined that Lee was a good cook, the fish was perfect and the sauce went really well, unlike her who couldn't cook to save herself. She realised that she was really lucky to have him, not that she didn't know it before but it enforced the thought. She was well fed and she had made up with Lee, she just now had to make sure she doesn't fall out with him again because it felt like hell without him. Sakura was starting to get drowsy and as Lee took the plates back to the kitchen, she curled up on the couch in the spot which he had sat and she could smell the familiar scent of him before she closed her eyes and involuntarily fell asleep.

Lee returned to find her curled up in a foetal position and was instantly worried but when he saw the deep rise and fall of her chest he smiled at he realised she was actually asleep.

'So cute,' he thought as he watched the breath pass between her plump glossy lips, 'you must be tired after that trip and I wouldn't blame you.' He gently lifted her without disturbing her resting body and proceeded to carry her upstairs to his bed. He passed by the door of Naruto and smiled at how redundant it was for him to ask Naruto to be somewhere else tonight. He was planning to make it up to her by giving her what she wanted but she was tired and fell asleep before he could propose the act.

'Well maybe another time then.' He said as he laid her on the bed without a sound, he pulled the bed-sheets over her to keep her warm as she slept. Lee sighed deeply and left the room allowing her to sleep peacefully as he gave the dorm a quick clean since he knew Naruto would not have done it.

Sakura was only vaguely aware of her surroundings as she awoke from hearing a rustle in the darkness but the next thing she felt was a source of warmth next to her, drawing her closer to the body in which it came from. She could feel the familiar shape under the clothes he wore.

'Lee-kun? What time is it?' She mumbled almost incoherently.

'Around 2 in the morning. Go back to sleep, you need the rest.' He kissed her forehead softly and traced circular patterns on her back, easing her into a calm state to fall asleep to.

It was working already as her breathing became deep and heavy indicting she was asleep once again.

Light streamed in through the open curtains into the eyes of a girl who had begun to stir. She stretched out searchingly to avoid hitting anything as she worked out the kinks in her body. Rubbing sleep out of her eyes she sat up. Noticing Lee on his ceiling bars performing inverted push ups. She giggled as she saw him work out without noticing she had woke up but the noise brought attention to her and he looked down to see her cross-legged on his bed, waving up at him with a smile on her face.

'Good morning Sakura-chan.' He said as he performed his final push ups and jumped down and wiped the sweat off his body with a towel. He usually only wore a pair of shorts which went half-way down his thighs, green obviously. To begin with Sakura used to find it embarrassing when she seen him wear them and see the rest of his toned body but now she just smiled at how that damn nice body was hers alone to do with what she wished, if he would let her of course.

'Why is it I almost always wake up to see you doing something like that? You're gonna hurt yourself one of these days.'

His hair stuck up slightly as he dried his face which made her giggle, she liked it like that. 'It's part of my daily routine, I've done this for around 2 years now and if I haven't sustained an injury from doing yet then I doubt I will.'

'Even still. I'm not fully trained in medical ninjutsu so I can't help you if something goes wrong, I don't want to have that on my conscience.'

He knew she didn't like being coated in other people's sweat but he couldn't help but take her in his arms. 'Sakura-chan, I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself, you don't have to worry anymore.'

'But I do.' She said, smiling and threading her fingers through his thick hair.

'You worry about everyone though. I think I can look after myself.'

'I'm not going to win this am I?' She said pulling back to look in his eyes.

'I'll try and be more careful if it makes you feel better, okay?' He said leaning towards her, closing the distance so they were only inches apart.

She became intoxicated by his scent, earthy with a hint of the sea, 'I guess it will have to do,' she breathed as she closed the gap and felt his lips against her own. She was pleased about the contact since she felt lost without him, but she remembered about yesterday and decided maybe they should slow things down a bit until things became a bit more settled. She pulled back and grinned, blushing slightly.

'Maybe you should go in the shower now.' She said, using the towel to wipe the rest of the sweat off his face.

He smiled and nodded, 'Lady Tsunade has asked that I report to her in a bit to show a new student around.'

'New student?' She asked curiously.

'Yeah, all she's said is he's moving in this dorm and I'm to show him around...he's one of us, and apparently he's being told the truth now.'

'That's...unusual.' She said as she thought about how soon they have to know about this life, when she had such a little time to prepare for it.

'I know.' He agreed, also thinking back to him telling her the truth.

'Are you still going to be here when I'm finished in the shower and come with me to meet the new student?' He asked.

She shook her head and stood up, 'no, I'm going to get changed and then hit the library, I want to do some research.'

'Okay, I'll come and see you when I'm done.' He said as he turned the tap on for the hot water.

'See you soon.' She said blowing him a kiss as she went out the door.

She was still smiling when she reached her dorm and started to get changed. She was glad to have him, to have him help her feel better and to make her smile like this from just seeing him. Her thoughts returned to the new student. She started to wonder what he was like. What did he look like? Would they become friends like she has with everyone else in the class? Or would he segregate himself and not communicate in any way?

She hoped that he would become friends with everyone because she knew what it was like to have no friends at one point, because she was a freak. That was the other weird thing of how as soon as he enters the building he is being told the whole truth, that must mean he is special in a way which she may never understand.

She was still thinking about it by the time she had reached the library wearing a simple t-shirt and cardigan and a pair of light blue jeans. She mindlessly wandered the library, past the librarian Yamato, till she reached the section she was looking for, it was the children's section, the area which would less likely have normal students. She found the wooden post which was used to support the classrooms above and placed her hand on it and gathered her chakra and put it gently into the wood. Yamato was a ninja; a special ninja which could bend wood to his will, only one other person in history was able to do that which made him a vital asset to the Academy. By putting her chakra into the wood it signalled to Yamato that she wanted to enter the library, he could bend the wood to his will to allow a person-sized hole to appear which led to a set of stairs which led to the ninja library.

She descended and she picked up the torch which was laid at the side as the hole behind her closed until she was engulfed in darkness. There were many stairs as it lead down and down, she gathered she must be at least 30ft into the ground until she came upon the large room. Upon the walls were brackets which held flammable material. She lit a small portion with the lighter which was next to it; this soon caught fire as it gave a soft glow around the room. She lit the rest and soon she was searching the cases they had for new and interesting jutsu to learn. She already had a few tricks up her sleeve which only she and Lee knew about and she wanted to learn some more, but today she felt like she wanted to work on her medical ninjutsu. Whether it was because of talking to Lee earlier or not, she had an urge to learn something new about medical ninjutsu.

She didn't just want to learn about healing, she wanted to learn something else, something which she could do to others which would allow her to give them a great disadvantage by messing with their internal systems.

She had flipped through a few books and found some interesting techniques, such as extracting poisons from the body and creating an antidote from them, she skimmed through it briefly but she felt like she wanted to learn about this at some point so she made a mental note to ask her mentor to set something up for her after she had done some more research about it.

Finally, she read something which piqued her interest. Curious, she read on. _Chakura no mesa, a medical ninjutsu which forms one's chakra into a small, sharp blade. This is a highly accurate technique used to make precise incisions, useful for dissections and surgery. Unlike a normal scalpel it can even make cuts inside the body without damaging the skin, reducing the risk of infection to the patient._

She was fascinated as she read but there was more on the next page.

_This can also be used offensively but requires great precision to be effective. Using the chakra scalpel is unusual but not un-heard of in battle. In heated battle it is highly unlikely that this technique would be performed because to make fatal cuts you need high precision but can still cut flesh and even muscles and tendons which could render the opponent immobile. _

'Interesting,' she thought, 'I wonder if I could train myself so I would be able to do this while in the midst of battle.'

She looked at the basic method, it didn't say about chakra, you had to feel that on your own, but it did tell you the hand signs which were needed to perform the technique.

She stood up from the desk and took a step back. After a deep breath she began.

'Tora...Uma...U...Ne...Inu.' She performed the hand seals as she spoke and practised until she had them memorised.

'Okay let's do this.' She gathered her chakra, she decided to start small and work up until she could start to see the bright blue which was supposed to surround your hands as you performed it.

At first it took her a while but as she started rising through her different levels of chakra she could see the colour start to appear and take longer to disappear, it meant she was getting closer to it. She didn't want to have to use all of her chakra so she would have to wait until she could actually cut something easily to check if it was working correctly, but to do that she would have to be outside. She did however see some rubbish in the bin next to the desk. Before she tried again she picked up a plastic pop bottle and placed it on the table. She tried again and could now see a bright blue which surrounded her hands; she tried to slice along the middle of the bottle but instead knocked it flying across the room. She dropped her hands, ending the jutsu and sat down looking at the book. She had no idea what she had done wrong but she knew that it wasn't supposed to do that. She looked at the images again and saw where she had went wrong, she didn't visualise her chakra like a razor sharp edge; instead her chakra sort of just clumped around her hand, probably due to her fighting technique she learnt off her mentor.

She smiled at how stupid she was, she was trying to learn the chakra scalpel, of course the technique meant you needed to have a sharp edge.

She picked up the bottle again and placed it back on the table. This time she tried to imagine her hand like a blade and the chakra imitating that shape. It seemed to work for her as a visual aid, so she tried again. This time she saw the difference in the shape of the chakra and she could feel the difference in her hand.

She swipe quickly through the air and through the bottle. It didn't even make a sound as she slashed through the air and cut through the bottle, the only sound indication was the top half of the bottle falling onto the table with an audible clatter.

She giggled slightly as she felt so happy that she had done it. Yeah she felt tired from using all that chakra in practising it but since she managed to at least perform the theory work here, she could easily go and practise in an outdoor environment.

CLAP! She whipped round to see Lee standing by the entrance behind her and he saw her slice through the bottle with ease. She let out a pent up breath as she saw him, smiling at her.

'I learnt another techniques, heh-heh.' She said giggling again at the end.

'I'm sure it will come in handy.' He smiled.

'Finished with the new student? What's he like?' She asked quickly.

He placed a hand over her mouth gently to stop her from speaking so he could actually answer her. 'Give me time,' he chuckled and removed it. 'No I haven't he's coming down now, I just raced ahead to let you know. He seems a nice guy, a bit disturbed but even you would if you knew his story, so tragic,' he said shaking his head in disbelief, 'I would have been done earlier but your name came up as I said I was leaving to find you and he would not let me go without him, he said he's from Suna.'

Sakura's heart started to race as she couldn't help but think of the worst. Please don't say it's Gaara, please don't say it's Gaara, please don't say it's Gaara, her mind chanted hoping to make it come true, her eye's trained on the doorway, ear's ever-listening to the approaching footsteps.

'Lee, please tell me that she's here.' A hard-raspy voice came from the direction of the stairs. Sakura didn't want to believe anything until she saw the figure which started to appear as he came down the stairs. Black, open-top sandals were the first things she noticed, followed by the dark grey pants. They were common enough. A long burgundy trench-coat could be seen with a purple vest which protected his stomach and supported his back. She could now see a large gourd come into view which seemed to shake as he walked, not only because of the way he moved but because something seemed to be inside it, fighting to be released.

At last his face came into view, his face was thinner than she remembers, red hair framed his face; it had grown since she saw him last, the outlines of his eyes were much darker as if he hadn't slept in such a long time and there was a new addition of the kanji for love on his forehead as if it was scraped into his flesh just recently, the same colour as freshly drawn blood.

But even though much had changed, she still knew him, not from the similarities but because of his eyes. The aqua which she had grown accustomed to as she grew would always change, they changed colour depending on the emotion he felt, right now the aqua iris was flecked with shades of deep blue, indicating sadness ,and pale green, indicating pain.

His eyes locked to her and she took all of this in. Her eye's brimming over with tears, as much as she was happy to see him, she couldn't handle the fact that he was here, that he was exposed to this life and by that it meant only one thing. His family were dead.

'Please…..no…..this isn't real,' she said, 'Gaara you can't be here, it c-can't be true.' She started to break up in tears, knowing that she was just trying to avoid the truth.

His eyes squinted as he internally winced. He nodded and said, 'I'm sorry.' She dropped to her knees and screamed into her hands.

**Hope this chapter is good, please review and let me know. And finally Gaara has made a permanent appearance, been waiting for this moment for a while now, so I'm glad it's happened, next chapter will be entirely in Gaara's POV. Until next time x**


	22. Chapter 22:Beast

**Hey guys, I'm back and hopefully for good. Finished college yesterday until september and so that now means i have time to do everything I want to, including writing ^_^**

**Anyways as I said i was going to upload a chapter about a month later, here it is hope you enjoy it xx**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

Gaara couldn't help but feel insignificant when he was taken to Konoha Academy. He could constantly feel a force within him which kept pushing against the walls he put up between his mind and the mind of the beast. He had no idea what was going on but he had been told that everything would be explained to him. His heavy eyes closed from exhaustion but he knew he could not sleep. The beast within him would talk to him and as he tried to constantly break his defences and take control, although he had no idea what it was. He could feel the pull of the beast towards darkness and death but he resisted, he did not want to turn into a monster like he had. He didn't want to think about the massacre of his family, he couldn't help but think it was all his fault, because he wasn't strong enough to resist the urge for bloodshed. He even ended up putting an innocent bystander in hospital for trying to stop it, he was glad he hadn't died but he was currently in critical condition.

He could feel a sudden headache overcome him. He soon realised it was caused by the strain his brain went through to block out the beast from his own controlling his own thoughts since he could now feel the presence of something else in his body. Something dark and sinister, something which should not be.

_Killing someone will help with that pain _the beast within him spoke, well it didn't exactly speak, Gaara just felt what the creature was thinking.

**Not everyone is like you. I don't want to hurt people like you've done.** Gaara thought innocently, it was the truth he didn't want to hurt anyone, he was just a human and couldn't see how people could hurt others the way he had. He had been ignored, bullied and rejected for most of his life by almost everyone except his family and best (and only) friend, yet he had never felt the urge to kill someone and to even hurt them.

_Always the goody-two-shoes. You felt what I felt when we killed. You enjoyed it, the bloodlust in your eyes were beautifully horrific._ The creature said with glee, it relished the pain of others and was constantly thirsting to spill blood on the pure land.

**Just leave me alone.** Gaara didn't want to even speak to the thing but he could feel that as long as he indulged in the beast's wishes on occasion, like speaking to it, in the long run it would be better for him and he could control it.

_Fat chance of controlling me._ It snorted, _The look on your father's face as we crushed them with the surrounding sand, the taste of his blood through the sand was orgasmic, your sister was even better._

**JUST SHUT UP ABOUT MY FAMILY!** He roared and ended the conversation between them, forcing the creature into the back of his mind into his own little cage he built in his head to keep him, he didn't know why he did it, the beast just kept leaving when he felt like it and came to bug Gaara some more.

Soon enough he was sitting in a large chair before a formidable woman. She was tall and had a stern expression on her face. The beast inside growled upon the sight of her. He looked back at the door wondering if he could get away before she dished out his punishment, but that was just his survival instinct kicking in, he knew that he deserved all what he got and even that wouldn't be enough for slaughtering his whole family.

Then the woman spoke and he could tell just by the air around her that she was someone of high standing and controlled things here. 'So, Gaara, I bet you are wondering why you are here?'

He nodded briefly before she continued, 'well I'll just get straight down to it, you're not normal.'

_No shit_, the beast thought, but Gaara remained silent.

'Not just because of the creature within you,' she spoke with compassion, startling Gaara, 'because you are a ninja.'

He almost laughed at how absurd it sounded but noticed the straight-face that the woman had.

'What does that mean?' He asked sceptically.

'Well it means that you can do special things, things which normal people cannot and you need to be trained properly to control it, especially you though. We use a force called chakra to perform abilities which can be used for many things.'

He thought for a moment, it sort of explained how he always felt different even before this monster awoke within him.

'Did the monster awaken because I couldn't control my, what was it, chakra?'

The woman before him laughed briefly, 'I'm sorry, no it isn't. If that was the case we would all be transformed into creatures. Nobody can truly control it at the beginning but this Academy is here to train you all to become better at controlling it.'

Gaara sighed out of relief, he was glad that wasn't the case but he was still anxious, he wanted to know what it was exactly.

'So what is this thing inside of me?' he asked.

She could see the pain in his eyes, she was going to tell him the whole truth but he could not hurt him by telling him who put that beast in him.

'To put it simply, in history did you ever learn anything about the great-tailed beasts?'

Gaara thought back and then remembered that they had covered it, 'They went across the land creating destruction as they go, a great band of warriors felled the beasts and sealed them within themselves. The warriors were never seen again.'

The woman nodded, 'That's right. Those warriors were in fact ninja, the first ninja of our time. In total there were 9 tailed beasts, each one with one more tail. The ninja who sealed them within themselves, we call them jinchuuriki, carried on normal lives, if they could keep them under control,' she paused to let that information sink in and then continued, 'when they reached the end of their lives they passed on the beast to the next generation or they sealed them in special containers which suppressed the energy, the chakra, of the beasts.'

She shook her head and sat down, it was time to start the "lie", 'About 17 years ago we had word that the one-tailed beast, or the Shukaku as it is called, was stolen by a rouge sand ninja and then placed into the Kazekage's new born son... you.'

Gaara paled slightly, so one of the great tailed-beasts was trapped within his body. 'Can't you just… Well, take it out?'

She looked down at him with sad eyes and shook her head, 'I'm sorry but the procedure to extract the beast would kill you if it was performed, unfortunately you are stuck this way forever.'

Gaara looked away, his eyes stinging from the emotions he was feeling, 'Wh-what can I do?'

'Remain here and learn to control it, to tame the beast and use its power as your own. That is the only way you can survive here properly.'

Gaara tore his eyes away from her; it was painful to even think about letting the beast run on a rampage. 'Can I ask a question?'

'Go right ahead.'

'Was my grandma aware of the beast within me? And what about my brother and sister?'

'I do believe your grandma knew about the beast, she was one of the best puppeteers in history, she was one of the people who greatly influenced people's powers. As for your brother and sister, they were aware that something was stolen and the thief came to your house and assaulted you at a young age, I remember hearing that your father had told them that the incident would traumatise you and cause you to grow up with an odd personality.'

Gaara found it hard to believe that Granny Chiyo was a great ninja, she was never great at anything, just was very senile, he loved her all the same but he couldn't actually believe that it was the truth. But he accepted it; this person seemed to know much more about his past and about his family than he did and she was the only person he could believe in here, in this world.

'There is another of your kind, the nine-tailed fox is sealed within a student here and he leads a happy life, learn from him and tame your beast. Your guide around these grounds will be here soon to show you around.'

'Who is this other person?' He asked hopefully.

'He is the other one who lives in the dorm you do, not your guide. You will meet your fellow classmates and ninja soon enough.'

'What about Sakura?' He asked finally, he knew that he would have to see her soon but he didn't want to meet her when he felt so guilty about everything which has occurred.

The woman's lips turned up slightly before they returned to the stoic expression, 'you'll see her soon enough,' a knock was heard on the door and it caused Gaara to flinch causing the sand in the woman's lizard tank to stir as it tapped at the glass.

'Hmm interesting,' she said, 'come in!' she shouted to the door, to the person on the other side, 'just wait by the door a moment, there is something I must check.'

'Gaara, come with me,' she led him into the next room and closed the door, 'something stirred when you were startled, the sand moved.'

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise.

'I have to ask may you allow me to test this theory and your abilities, if that is okay'

He nodded, not knowing what she was doing, but started to panic as she picked up a long sharp weapon. She walked over to a large jar filled with sand and set it beside him.

'If this doesn't work it will hurt a little but I am a specialist in the medical field so I can heal you. I'm sorry.' Gaara almost didn't see her swing the blade down to stab his leg, but he caught a faint glimpse of the light reflect off the material and before he realised he felt something on his leg. It wasn't a pain but it felt strange, as he looked down he saw a layer of sand surround his leg where the blade was situated. Only it wasn't just stationary, it flowed over his trousers and started to form needle-like tendrils which were all aimed at her. Gaara was pissed off.

She had attacked him without warning and before he could protest. His mind was filled with angry thoughts and the desire to protect.

'Gaara,' she said as the needles started gliding towards her, 'you need to control your anger. The anger is from the Shukaku and if can control it properly you can be able to use the power in the right way. This is only you who can do this, tap into the power of the beast and use it for good.'

He continued to glare at her, 'Gaara. Calm down. Think of what Sakura would say if she knew you were giving in.'

He soon snapped back to his senses, other than his senile grandma she was the only thing close to a family he had left and the last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint her. He tried telling the Shukaku to withdraw since he didn't know how to just yet but he was met with a force he felt like he couldn't overcome. 'Just think that you will be able to see her soon.' The relief he felt was enough to force control back into his own hands and the sand-needles, which were now inches from her face, collapsed to the floor, the anger in his mind washed away just like the sand had and he was left feeling calm, albeit a little stressed because if his situation.

She breathed out a breath she didn't know she was holding and then smiled softly at him, 'this is just one of the hurdles you have to overcome to fully become a ninja, and that is to learn to control it properly and effectively in times of need.'

Gaara's hands were shaking, he felt suddenly very scared, he could feel the Shukaku growl with anger within him and he felt he could succumb to this feeling without him wanting to. He was internally searching for a way to rein it in, so he didn't see the woman get up and go to the door.

'Gaara?' He spun his head around and saw her holding a white sash, she wrapped it around the jar and then around his chest, securing it to his back and then led him back to the door, 'come, it's time for you to familiarise yourself with this life.'

Gaara studied the young ma n which stood in front of him; he was a tall man which broad shoulders and toned muscles but not overly big ones. His eyes were big and were the colour of warm coal, the sort of eyes which he felt he could see into his soul and he could trust. He believed that his hair did look a bit silly but coupled with his big grin it complemented his easy-going and nice guy nature which Gaara was sure he had. He didn't trust himself to be able to shake his hand as a greeting so instead he folded his arms and nodded with the hint of as much as a smile as he could muster.

'Gaara, this is Lee, he is one of your roommates and is in the same class as you, he will show you around and act as a guide for the first few weeks until you get your bearings then I would like you to start learning our ways as much as you can. I know you must feel a bit shocked about your past and the truth about your new world, but we do need to start on getting the beast under control soon before it can overwhelm you,' Lady Tsunade said quickly, 'before you start getting to know each other and going to see the building, Lee can I see you for a moment. I have some things I need to tell you….It's about your father.' She finished sadly.

'Gaara, I'm sorry but could you please wait outside patiently.'

Gaara's eyes narrowed at her because of the jealous nature of the Shukaku but overcame that and nodded.

_Hey kid, don't you feel pissed that she tried to attack you?_ Shukaku called to him from deep within once he had shut the door behind him.

**Well yes, of course I do but it's for my own good, and the good of the school that she learns everything that she can from me about you so we can control you.** Gaara told him, sure that he knew the reasons as well as he did since they did share the same body.

_And do you think I can be controlled at all? _It growled in response and Gaara could feel the hot anger wash through him, and the sand on his back started violently shaking in its confine, he was glad that there was a stopper in to stop the sand from spilling out from its fit of rage.

**Well considering I can feel your power surging through me at times like this, yes. **Gaara tried to reason with it as best he could without giving into the feelings it was supplying him with.

_If you let me control your actions you could wreck lots of havoc and I can taste the hidden blood-lust within you, all you have to do is lose control. _He persuaded.

**Shukaku?**

_Yes?_

**Fuck you! **Gaara internally screamed out, he couldn't deal with his own voice in his head let alone adding another to the mix making him feeling like he should be locked up for hearing voices, but he couldn't handle the fact that the other voice was trying to get him to kill others to quench its thirst. He was also scared at what he was capable of and if the words which Shukaku spoke to him were true, that he really did have a hidden lust for power and pain from others. His first instinct was to run but where could he go, wherever he went the demon would always follow. His hands found their way to his scarlet-red hair and gripped the shiny locks with his firm grip, it hurt as he couldn't help but pull but it seemed to push the demons thoughts from entering his mind, showing images of blood, death and screams. His eyes briefly turned a strange shade of black compared to his usual eye colour but he couldn't see his eyes do this.

**Shukaku, stop it now! **Gaara sobbed as he could feel the beast from releasing the pent up rage and pain within his body since he knew he couldn't stop it yet.

The creak of the door snapped Gaara out of his daze and the Shukaku released his assault on the boy, not out of fear but because he felt he could slowly corrupt him.

'Do you understand everything I told you?' Lady Tsunade said looking at the other man.

'Yes, Lady Tsunade.' He said with a formal tone and large bow, Gaara could see a hint of a smile on the woman's face.

'I can see why she likes you,' she said quietly to him then turned her attention to Gaara, 'well Gaara, it's time for you to go, I'll send for you and sort out your training with you sometime in the future, hope you enjoy it here.' And then closed the door behind them.

'So you're Gaara then, the new student. My name is Lee, nice to meet you.' Lee said formally giving a bow to the younger male.

Gaara stayed silent, not because he didn't want to, he was still a bit startled as to how close Shukaku was to starting to control him or at least to influence him to what he wanted.

'You seem quite shy.' Lee stated sympathetically, Lady Tsunade had already briefed him on the situation about the newest student and he understood that there were certain things which he couldn't do or say.

'It's a lot to deal with at once.' He said quietly and folded his arms to stop some of the shakes which were still coursing through him, they were slowly subsiding but he didn't want to show his weakness in front of the man he just met.

Lee nodded, 'that I can understand, somebody else I know had a hard time when they first found out about everything, and she also found out pretty early upon arriving here.'

Gaara nodded once, he only wanted to get to his room and just be left alone. Not that he didn't like the man in his presence but he felt it was just a bit too early for him to interact with people, what he wanted right now more than anything was to learn how to control the Shukaku so he didn't have to be segregated anymore now that he was in the environment in which he could fit in and he didn't have to feel alone anymore.

'Come, follow me, I shall show you to our dorm.' Beckoned Lee a few steps ahead of him.

'and this is your room.' Lee spoke as the door was pushed open, within the room were Gaara's bags and the usual furniture. The walls were a deep red almost burgundy colour which Gaara knew was similar to the red of his hair.

'Do you want to come and meet everyone at lunch?' Lee asked, knowing that the answer would be no he asked to be polite.

Gaara shook his head, he just wanted to be left alone so he could focus on what was important and how he was going to do it.

'Okay, well I showed you to the dining hall earlier if you want anything make your way there and find me and I'll make sure you are seen to. I'll be back in half an hour, I'm off to see my girlfriend in the library.'

Gaara's head whipped up, 'you have a girlfriend?' he exclaimed.

Lee looked surprised at the emotion he showed, 'yeah,' he drew out the word, 'she's amazing, beautiful and kind, although we haven't been together long, I love her deeply.'

'May I ask who she is?' Gaara asked curiously, he wanted to at least make a friend, considering his demon was quiet at the moment he felt like he could at least start to form some kind of bond with this new person in his life.

'She's one of us, she's called Sakura, she only recently arrived yet she is a splendid ninja already.'

Gaara was conflicted with many emotions. He was happy that he didn't have to hide from her but he was mainly sad that she was caught up in the same world as him, he wanted a better life for her. 'S-sakura? Sakura Haruno?'

'Yeah, how did you know that?' Lee asked with narrowed eyes, he wanted to know what his connection with her was.

'Just take me to her,' Gaara demanded, an awkward silence passed between the two for the briefest of seconds before he realised how rude he was being, the anxiousness of seeing his old friend was getting to him, 'please?'

Lee noticed the change in his attitude and nodded, 'follow me.'

He was taken to the library and was currently walking down a thin flight of stairs, the other man had went on ahead to prepare Sakura. As he walked he thought about Sakura and Lee. He remembered that there was that time when he rang her up but another person answered, it was him, he was the one who looked after her when he wasn't here for her, when he couldn't be here for her and for that he was grateful to him. He concluded that at some point he had to show his gratitude towards him for all he has done for his best friend.

He could see a light at the bottom of the stairs but he could barely hear voices and if he did he could have easily sworn it was his mind playing tricks on him.

'Lee, please tell me that she's here.' He asked desperately, he needed his friend to tell him everything was okay and to help him through this difficult time as he felt the beast within him start to rise.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and he looked up to see a familiar pink haired girl who was almost as familiar to him as himself staring back at him. She had changed a bit since he saw her, her body looked stronger and more toned and not to mention the glowing confidence which she had obtained, he could still see the elements which made Sakura the person she always was, like her big emerald eyes which always gave off an air of understanding despite her young age and the way that her mouth was always naturally turned up into a smile.

But at this present moment in time, she was not smiling and she did not understand, slowing upon seeing him her face and composure was starting to crumble and this deeply affected Gaara. Tears formed in her eyes and she spoke.

'Please…..no…..this isn't real,' she said, 'Gaara you can't be here, it c-can't be true.' The tears in her eyes no longer able to be held, overflowed and trickled steadily down her face.

Gaara saw this and his eyes twitched, he couldn't bear to see her like this, it broke his heart every time he saw it and for that he was glad he hadn't seen her cry much but when she did he was always there to comfort her and help her feel better. On this occasion he knew that he was the cause and all he wanted was for her to go come over to him and start hitting him for what he had done, she was going to give him is punishment, but he knew that this was all he was going to get and this was enough.

He nodded at her and confirming what she asked he said, 'I'm sorry.'

She dropped down to her knees and screamed horrifically into her hands. Within seconds Lee was by her side.

'Sakura-chan!' He gasped as he also dropped to his knees by her side, he hesitated as he wrapped his arms around her and tried to comfort her.

Gaara shuffled forwards towards the couple, still punishing himself for his weakness.

It only took a few minutes before Sakura was calming down, she pulled away from her boyfriend as she placed a hand on his face and smiled, 'I'm okay, honestly.' Her eyes were still glistening with tears but she was in control again. Lee stood up and pulled her up with him.

Before Gaara realised it, Sakura was right in front of him.

'I-it happened…..didn't it?' She asked quietly.

Gaara nodded, not able to look her in the eye.

'Temari, Kankuro and your father, all of them? What about Granny Chiyo?'

'She's fine. Senile as usual.' He had a faint smile on his face.

Sakura chuckled slightly, 'that's Granny for you though.'

Gaara nodded.

'Oh I've missed you.' Sakura squealed as she threw her arms around him, it took Gaara a second to notice and he slowly unfolded his arms and held her close.

'It's been so lonely without you.' He croaked, it was only when he spoke did he realise that he had started crying.

**Well here's this chapter, I wanted to write how Gaara felt during this part of last chapter and for that i needed to show how he was feeling when he was told the truth. Hope you enjoyed it x**

**I know I've lost some of my usual reviewers which makes me sad, I would like some more just to tell me how I'm doing, anything anyone would like to see so i can write chapters which people want to read. It would be really useful if you could x**

**Anyways it's late so i'll be heading to bed and I hope I have some reviews **

**_P.s. started working on a few one-shots for other story ideas I shall upload one next time I update this story which should be in a couple of weeks after I have wrote the next chapter, one of the one-shots and hopefully worked on other chapters so i have a few chapters done in advance so i don't have a problem like late updates and long times between updates again xx sorry_  
><strong>


	23. Chapter 23: Pain

**First of all i know i really have to say im sorry :'(**

**I had plenty of time to write over the summer holidays but i had so much other stuff which i had to do which I'd put off and i was distracted a lot by certain people and well in total i was just too lazy to get writing over the holidays :'(**

**Then college started again and i was busy trying to cram a lot of work into the past couple of months as i was making some of my old work better so i got a better grade and then applying for uni and this was a busy period.**

**So now i'm caught up with work and i should hopefully stay on top of it all this time I should be able to get plenty of time to write.**

**So sorry for the delay and now enjoy this chaper**

****Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

Sakura remained quiet until she could no longer hear the sounds or feel the shakes in which Gaara's sobs made. All the time she was trying her very best to keep a brave face on so her friend wasn't disheartened but it was proving difficult when she had very rarely saw Gaara cry and when he did she couldn't help but feel like she should cry too even when she didn't feel upset. It was how close their friendship was that she physically felt sad because her friend was and he felt the same to her. If it wasn't for Lee being near she probably would have gave into her natural instincts but she didn't want him to worry so she placed a smile on her face and winked at him.

She pulled away from the comforting hug as Gaara had calmed down and she automatically handed him a tissue from a pack which she had in a tissue, he mumbled his thanks and dried his eyes and blew his nose loudly. Sakura gave Lee a pleading look, she hoped that he knew what it meant.

Lee nodded and spoke up, 'I'll just leave you two alone, I'll just be outside the opening at the top keeping a look-out.' He patted her on the shoulder as he walked out showing that he was giving her as much support as she needed to get through this situation as best she could. She smiled and said thanks.

Sakura gestured to Gaara, 'Why don't you sit down and I'll just put my things away. It'll give you time to gather your thoughts.' He nodded and took the seat in which Sakura was sitting in only minutes ago.

She worked quickly as she thought of all the things she wanted to say, she picked up the bottle she had cut up and put in the bin as it was and then put away the books she used and then finally closed the book which had her notes written up in. She knew that she had to ask what actually happened and what was happening now but what she didn't know was how to go about it, she knew that he was very different from what she knew him as and that the trauma of what has happened could easily cause him to have a different attitude. She was conflicted with thoughts as she moved but deep down she knew that she had to get to the bottom of it so she could talk to him properly and so she could help him more in the future.

Meanwhile Gaara was trying to think about how to answer, he's gotten over the initial shock of meeting her and now had his emotions under control but he was trying to think about how to explain to her about the Shukaku, which was being surprisingly quiet at the current moment in time even though his fluctuation in emotions would have made it much easier for the beast to take-over his body. He mainly thought about why this may be but before he could even contemplate an answer he heard the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor and as he looked up he saw Sakura was now sitting opposite him with a questioning look.

She reached over and took his clenched hands in hers and said, 'tell me everything, from the beginning.'

Gaara almost hesitated, worried that she would reject him because of who he is and then he remembered that she is still the same person who has been with him all his life and that she wouldn't shun him because of it. So instead he took a deep breath, 'well it all started in September with that dream…'

It took him almost half an hour to get through the whole of his story, Sakura sat back and listened as he spoke nodding in the right places but leaving him to finish his story and explanation before launching into questions. She took a minute to think through what she was said, Gaara had the one-tailed beast sealed within him, she was shocked but she believed it all. It gave a reason as to why people avoided Gaara as a child because he was so different and why she remained by his side when others didn't. She had no reason to doubt what he said, she knew about Naruto and she learned about the beasts from him, yet the nine-tailed fox was more strongly sealed than Gaara's seemed to be.

'Why do you think it only decided to show up now?' Sakura wondered.

Gaara shrugged, ' that's what I want to know, the only plausible explanation is because you left and it was no longer kept in control, since it only started manifesting itself when you came here.'

Sakura sighed, 'I'm sorry about that, my parents thought it was best that I came here, and now I agree with them, it was best for me but I'm sorry that this happened to you because of it.'

'It's not your fault,' he said with a hint of a smile, 'being with you now means I can't hear the voice of the Shukaku so I'm grateful.'

Sakura looked at him strangely, 'what do you mean?'

Gaara looked shocked, 'I can't hear the Shukaku speak to me now, I could hear it like as if it was next to me only hours ago and now nothing, could it be because you seem to supress the beast?'

Sakura was thoughtful, 'it's possible, what sort of things does the Shukaku say?'

He shivered, 'terrible things, things to get me to do awful things.'

Sakura smiled and put a hand over his mouth, 'you don't have to tell me if it's disturbing you.'

Gaara smiled as best he could, which still wasn't much, and nodded.

'Hey Gaara,' Sakura said absent-mindedly, 'do you remember that song which we always used to sing.'

He nodded, 'how could I forget?'

'I have climbed highest mountains, I have run through the fields, only to be with you, only to be with you.' Sakura's voice rang out softly and fluidly.

'I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls, these city walls, only to be with you.' Gaara continued, his voice forming a contrast to Sakura's pure and soft voice by adding a coarser but still as musical voice to the song.

'But I still haven't found what I'm looking for, no I still haven't found what I'm looking for.' Both of them joined in together as Sakura reached to grab Gaara's hand and squeezed gently to give support.

'Of course I remember it, why do you ask?' Gaara asked questionably

'Well we always related to the lyrics because that's what we would do for each other and that we didn't feel like we belonged. This is the reason why we didn't feel right back home in Suna, because we were destined to be here. Don't you already feel much more relaxed and calmer than you have been for years?' Sakura asked him, taking a pause as he nodded in reply. 'To me, this is home and I feel it's what I've been waiting on my whole life, I feel natural and it means I don't have to hide who I truly am and I'm sure you can feel this way too. You only have to open up to people and don't be afraid to show them the person I know is in there deep down because they don't judge you here like they did back home.'

Gaara nodded, he didn't trust himself to speak but he knew that there didn't need any words to be spoken about this.

Sakura returned to him a large smile and a tug at his hands pulling him easily to his feet without any effort, 'come on, we best be going or Lee will be worried.'

Sakura led the way out of the secret library and up the stairs and out all while having a happy face showing. There was no way that she could show her true feelings on the matter to be shown, especially not now in the presence of others. But deep down she was dying. Her second family which nurtured her as she grew up just as much as they did for Gaara, her adopted brother Kankuro and sister Temari, all of it was gone. Taken away by the person who she deemed to be the closest to her. She mentally shook herself, no Sakura don't think of that, at least not now.

Gaara is still the same person, albeit more than a little shaken up by recent events, but Sakura didn't know if she could still act like she usually does with him anymore because of what he did, even if he wasn't in control it was still him. While she was distracted they had reached the top and absent-mindedly placed her hand on the door naturally flooding it with her Chakra so Yamato would open the door for her and let them out. She was ready to wait patiently but he was surprisingly quick and the bark bent back so there was enough space to climb out of. It only took a few seconds and the door closed behind her and Gaara closing them off from the secret life of the academy.

Lee was sitting at a table not too far away from the entrance. As he was engrossed in a manga he didn't realise that they were finished and flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Despite her dark mood, Sakura still found this funny and couldn't help but laugh lightly at his act of surprise.

'You were quite out of it weren't you?' She said giggling.

He nodded, 'yeah sorry it was just the new volume of bleach and I wanted to read it.'

'Well why don't you check it out?' She asked.

'No need, I'll just finish it at a later date.' Lee smiled and held his hand out to her as she removed it from his shoulder. He could tell that she was being a little bit distant because of the new arrival and he could also tell that there was a deep underlying emotion towards the event, so he tried as much as he could to give her a source of light to brighten her day, even just by a little.

A loud rumble sounded and it took a second for Sakura to realise that it was coming from her. She smiled nervously as she could suddenly feel how hungry she was.

'Should we go get some food?' Asked Lee.

Sakura nodded, 'can we go back to the dorms first? I need to get changed.'

He nodded and started walking as he gently pulled Sakura along as she was in a daze and Gaara followed along behind them. He was more than slightly jealous at their closeness but he knew he needed to get used to the idea that he wasn't the only person Sakura was this close to.

It didn't take long for them to navigate the hallways until they reached their dorms.

Sakura skipped ahead to her door and turned around, 'I'll meet you back in your dorm soon.' she gave a smile and a slight wave as she pulled the door open and hurriedly shut it again. Silently she slid down the door and her smile fell from her face. What were her parents going to think about him being here? If that thing inside Gaara was so dangerous why wasn't he already placed under the protection of the academy to stop this kind of calamity from occurring? She had so many questions but even less answers.

She hated being left in the dark but that was overshadowed by the despair she felt at her fallen friends and family. She crawled up to her room and collapsed on her bed, looking at her bedside table she could see a picture of her a Gaara which was taken not long before she moved.

She saw herself as she used to be, slightly chubby around the face and in the arms but one thing which hadn't changed was the large smiled which was placed on her face. In the photo she was behind Gaara as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and had her head on his shoulder laughing and having fun where Gaara just scowled as he always did. She remembered the day so well, she had went with Gaara's brother and sister to the outdoor swimming pool to cool off since it was the middle of the summer. Kankuro was elsewhere, probably trying his luck with some girl who was out of his reach and Temari was taking the picture, she was laughing and teasing Gaara as Sakura was for not smiling and laughing as most people would be.

They were good times she thought as she reminisced, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes before she couldn't hold it anymore and bawled loudly which was sure to attract anybody nearby if they heard it but luckily for her everyone else had went to do other things in preparation for school and other business. She was pleased at that, at least it meant she got her privacy to unload all her feelings and then be able to move on.

Most of all she cried at the appearance of Gaara at this school, this meant she no longer had to hide from him but it also meant that she failed in being able to protect her best friend from being dragged into this dangerous and scary world in which she called home. Gaara was a delicate person who feared the sight of blood and she knew that this profession was a bloody one, she had seen many times when she researched their history and she knew that Gaara would not be able to hack it at all.

She heard a light knock on her door which startled her and caused her to start coughing violently as her breath escaped her. When she regained control she said quietly but loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear, 'go away'

She didn't even care who it was anymore she just wanted to be left alone to mope about and sulk.

'Sakura? Is everything okay?' She heard the most comforting voice to her call through the door, Lee was there waiting her reply.

'I just want to be left alone.' His comforting presence wasn't helping this time, unlike last time she needed comfort this problem arisen from her life as a normal human being and nobody from the world of ninja would be able to help in this instance.

He opened the door a crack and peeked in to see Sakura laid out on her bed face down. 'What's wrong?' he asked quietly.

'I don't wanna talk about it.' Came a muffled voice laden with the sound of sobbing from the bed.

'I'm here to help, you know I'll always be here for you whenever you need me, I just want to help….'

'Nobody can help!' She cut across him loudly lifting her head off the bed and giving him a look which showed utter rage. This, coupled with the tear-stained cheeks and red eyes, gave her a manic look about her which made her seem wild and feral. Honestly this side of Sakura seemed to scare him. He started to back out slowly as while he was talking he started to walk towards the bed.

'If you need to talk, you know where to find me.' He said sadly, the fact that he was being pushed away really hurt deep down.

'Just go.' She said weakly and turned away from him.

'Bye.' He said shortly and he closed the door more loudly than normal.

Sakura proceeded to break down into even more fits of tears. She hated the fact that she was turning away people who cared but she just wanted to get all of her feelings and emotions out now when she was all alone and then she could be better sooner. She didn't have long to reflect on how she acted before she was disturbed again. Without her thinking about what she was saying she spun round once again and said 'whoever it is just go!'

The character ignored her and opened the door anyways and was met with the sad eyes of Gaara. She felt heartbroken as it was she did not need him to make it worse so she covered her face with her hand and turned to face the wall so she didn't have to look at him.

She felt the mattress behind her sink as Gaara sat beside her.

'I remember that day well.' He said voice heavy with despair, she looked up to see him holding the photo from her table.

'What do you want?' She said abruptly, Gaara was used to her emotional outbursts and has never purposefully came to see her unless he wanted to say something.

'We're here for you, don't forget that. I know what you're feeling and it's totally valid to feel that way but there are others around you can talk to you know, you can't keep feelings bottled up like this it's not good for you.' Gaara said softly placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sakura struggled against her childish nature to squirm out of his grip and pout, 'you know where I stand on sharing things like that. You also know I'll be fine tomorrow if I'm just left alone, so why are you telling me this?'

Gaara smiled although she couldn't see, 'yes I know that all too well and it can be very irritating you know, but I have a feeling there's someone who doesn't know that about you just yet?'

'Lee?' She asked surprised

'Yeah, he's going pretty crazy over there worrying if it's something he's done and how he can fix it, how he can help, everything, but deep down you can tell her was hurt by your rejection for his help,' Gaara paused to let her absorb the information she was given, 'you need to apologise and explain yourself, and soon, I'm the one who has to deal with him along with my other roommate and I don't know how much more I can take and it's only been a few minutes.'

Sakura curled up into a foetal position and hugged her knees to her chest.

'I-I can't. Not just yet. Sorry' She said softly she was surprised Gaara had even heard her at all but he did.

'Just think about what I said.' He got up and opened the door.

'Wait!' Sakura said, 'tell Lee that I'm sorry but I just don't wanna talk right now but I will explain myself properly soon, I just need some time. Also tell him that none of it is his fault and that I still love him, very much.' Her voiced cracked a little towards the end but a sad smile was found on her face and tears were streaming down her face again.

Gaara nodded and left promptly, he really didn't like being around over-emotional girls.

After all the crying she had done throughout the day and the tossing and turning in bed, she found that she was absolutely knackered. Her body started to shut down but her mind would not. She stayed awake for hours just cuddling her pillow as close to her as she could praying that she hasn't ruined things between her and Lee. She should call him and ask him over so she can explain herself, maybe after getting rid of all this guilt she could finally sleep. Reaching for her phone she pressed a button and proceeded to unlock it only to realise the time. It was almost 3 in the morning, she had spent almost 10 hours doing nothing but feeling sorry for herself, that was a record even for her. She didn't have the heart to bother him at this time of night so she promised herself that she would talk to him tomorrow. So with a lighter conscience she got up and got changed into a pair of pyjamas and climbed into bed, again she was cuddling the pillow but only because she had gotten so used to sleeping cuddled up to Lee over the holidays that it felt strange without him and the pillow made a decent enough substitute despite it not being warm like he was.

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes and soon enough she fell asleep.

She awoke with a start. Disorientation hit her when she didn't recognise the room she was in and was confused as to why she was here, but she soon remembered what had happened. She tried to turn over since it was still dark and could sneak a few more hours in but her arm wouldn't follow. She turned to find a little silhouette of a man kneeling on the floor by her bed holding on tightly to her hand, her half-asleep mind couldn't process it and wondered who it was. However it was had obviously fallen asleep by the sound his breathing was making. There was a small crack in the curtains which shone onto the black hair which the man adorned. There was something about him which she recognised but she didn't know who he was until then it clicked in her mind and she was fully awake.

Lee had arrived sometime between when she fell asleep and now to see her because he was worried, this comforted her because despite how she acted he was still thinking of her. Despite the comfort it gave, it also saddened her that she couldn't bring herself to tell him of her problems which caused her eyes to well up again. She held his hand up to her face as she wrapped her arms around it tightly and silently she cried.

**Okay so I did actually finish this chapter in the holidays but i didn't wanna upload as i was trying to finish off this arc first before i did upload it.**

**I have some bad news relating to this story for the people who still read it, I will actually be finishing this story sometime in the near future. This is because that since i had plenty of time to write but i never did it proves that i must be getting bored of this story afterall and it should probably be a good time to end it rather than keep it going and not liking how it's going. So a heads up now that there will be 3 more chapters to this story arc and then there will be one more and that is it, sorry guys.**

**I am in the process of writing the next chapter and I am a good way through it and so you should expect it soon...although that's what i said last time :/**


	24. Chapter 24: Fun

**Finally, here I am with a new chapter, sorry it's been so long.**

**Firstly I would really like to thank all my recent reviewers which have inspired me to write this chapter, still I know it's taken a long time but I wanted to work on it a lot to make sure it was right, and it's one of (scratch that - IS!) my longest chapters yet so I feel you deserve it after so long.**

**So some replies to the reviews I've received.:**

_- "best fic i read" - I never really was able to write, I mean I wanted to write my own story but I could never think of a good storyline or a good character and well once a friend was starting to write their own original story I thought well that's this fanfiction about and it just went from there. For me a good way I learned how to write like this was from reading many other fanfictions in a similar genre or fandom. and by writing just how I feel or how I wanted to write._

_- "iheartanime434" - Thank you so much for all your reviews :'D I don't know where to start. Firstly it was kind of important because i knew that Gai-sensei was going to leave the story for a while which links in with the next chapter and I needed something to keep Lee and Sakura close and well that was what came to mind, I know it may be a bit of a controversial subject but it starts to work out later on. Secondly even in the anime Sasuke never really talked about himself and so it kinda applies here so because of that Sakura doesn't know much at all about him unfortunately. Will Naruto find out about Sasuke's love for him? I guess that will come out in the next story arc which starts in the next few chapters. As to whether his clan is alive (or at least his father) that will also come to light soon :) _

**Anyways onto this chapter. I know how much you don't want this fic to end but I have seriously started to get bored of it, and so it will be finishing soon. I'm sorry, just don't hate me :'( It doesn't mean that I'll stop doing LeexSakura fanfics or oneshots but I feel that I've spent too long on this story and want to take it in so many places that I feel it may be better to just end it here before I make it worse. I may end up adding new chapters at the end based on the original story, e.g. Gaara finding someone to love, maybe a fic of Sakura missing Lee while they've graduated and are proper ninjas on other teams, Lee proposing, or their wedding, things like that ;)**

**Finally in this chapter I've experimented with new ways of writing, I am trying to incorporate more action scenes in the next story arc because it will be good for other stories and whatever. Plus I have also tried my hand at writing a smut/lemon scene in this chapter to test myself and see if I can actually write them and apparently to some people who I've sent it to to proof-read it it's good but you tell me if you wish to read it :) I have given a warning at where it starts and the same again where it ends so you can skip it if you don't want to read it and it doesn't really miss anything of the story :)**

**So enjoy the chapter guys :)**

Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto

Lee looked at the clock once again. Sakura had been on his mind for the whole day, not that she wasn't any other day, but today he couldn't help but worry profusely over her. It was close to 4am and he still had no inclination to sleep. It was too late to ring her or text her but he knew it wouldn't hurt to go and check in on her to see how she is, if she's asleep he would just quietly leave and not bother her but if she was awake then he would calmly ask what's wrong. He knew that it was all involving Gaara, her closest friend, but he wanted to know what exactly so he could maybe help, he hated feeling useless at a time like this and that's how he felt.

He got up and quietly left his room and snuck out into the corridor, he knew he had to be careful as to not get caught since even though the school was pretty lenient with curfews, he also knew that 4am was taking the biscuit. The door to the girls' dorm was left unlocked and upon the opening of the door he saw that the lights were all off so he guessed that they must all be in bed. Not that it would really make a difference as everyone would know who he was here to see but he didn't exactly want to get caught and have his presence brought attention to, so he silently worked his way up the stairs, avoiding the creaky step and made his way down the hall to his girlfriend's room.

The door silently slid open as he side-stepped into the room and shut it behind him. Stealthily, he crept to the side of her bed and looked at her sleeping form. He could see faint outlines the tears which still stained her face and the puffy eyes but even with the new additions he still found her breathtakingly beautiful. He smiled softly as he gently gave her cheek a kiss and he turned to go.

'Wait,' he heard her say, 'don't go.'

Turning around to face her he wasn't met with her face instead he could see her shaking her head, 'please don't leave me, I don't know if I can keep going without you if you go.' her voice broke as she was talking.

Sighing, Lee could tell she was dreaming and not having a good one by the looks of things. He knelt on the floor beside her bed and took her outstretched hand within his and placed a hand on her cheek. 'I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for you.'

There was a minute of silence as she groaned and sobbed in her sleep all while Lee was battling with himself not to wake her up and save her from this nightmare she was obviously having.

'….Lee-kun…...I'm sorry.' She said softly as she unconsciously squeezed tighter on his hand.

Seeing her like this reminded him of the most recent time she was like this was about a month or so ago when Sasuke left the Academy and broke her heart. A lump rose in the back of his throat as he tried not to think about it and how much pain she went through.

'You have nothing you need to be sorry for.' He said softly as he laid his head down on the bed. The last thing he remembered was her soft steady breathing returning to normal.

It felt like only seconds later he awoke feeling his arm being held tightly as it was shaken. He opened his eyes and saw in the pale light that Sakura was awake, and yet again crying.

'Hey, why are you crying?' He sat up on the bed and pulled her into a tight hug.

It took her a minute to be able to control herself enough to be able to talk, 'because of how I've treated you.'

'What do you mean?'

'I turned you away, even though all you wanted to do was help. I'm so sorry.' The words were hardly able to be made out properly but surprisingly Lee managed to make out what she meant.

'Don't be sorry for needing space. You could have just said that and I would have left you alone, you went the wrong way about it but there's nothing wrong with what you did.' He smiled softly reassuring her that things are okay.

'I'm too lucky to have you.' She said and buried her face against his chest and waited until her tears finally stopped flowing.

'Are you feeling better now?' Lee said as he pulled himself up and stretched out along her bed with her cuddled up against him.

She nodded and squeezed him tight, 'I am now thanks.'

'Do you want to talk about yesterday? Just so I know what was wrong.' Lee probed, he was curious but if she didn't want to talk about it then he would leave the subject alone.

'I deserve you an explanation at least.' She said sadly. 'You obviously know now that Gaara and I were childhood friends, we were inseparable and the others' family became part of our own. The news that he killed his father and siblings kinda shook me since we were so close, I mean his father was always working but his brother and sister brought us up despite them being just a few years older than us. I started having nightmares when I first came to this school in which a monster broke out of his body and killed his family, I believe it was a prophecy and all I can see in my head is their faces as they were brutally killed and there screams echo in my head, now more so than ever and it scares me.'

Lee breathed a sigh, 'that's a lot to deal with, basically finding out that your secondary family was killed of course you're going through a lot but you know I'm always here if you need to talk about anything or just need a shoulder to cry on.'

'That's another thing, something which I thought you knew but obviously you didn't. I hate talking to people about my problems; I feel that it's not their problem to deal with so they shouldn't have to deal with it.'

'You're too compassionate for your own good at times,' Lee gave the top of her head a kiss, 'I'm your boyfriend, you hold half of me within you, when you have a problem, I have a problem and I'm here to help you through it in any way I can.'

'Thank you,' she spoke softly, 'I'm sorry about shouting at you and turning you away yesterday.'

Lee gave a chuckle, 'if you're so sorry then why don't you prove it to me later.' he said giving an implied wink in his tone.

Sakura's cheeks grew red but she also smiled and nodded, 'sounds fun.'

The sun had now fully risen and they could hear voices downstairs and about the grounds. 'Maybe it's time to get up.' Sakura said giving a loud yawn.

'That is more than likely a very good idea since there is also someone you need to see.' Lee said growing serious for a moment.

Sakura nodded, she knew he was right and went to the bathroom. She proceeded to change as she thought of what she was going to say to him but she decided that instead of planning for it she would just improvise; after all she always imagines the worst scenarios.

Walking back out she placed a wide smile on her face as she nodded to Lee, 'I'm ready, let's go.'

When they reached the boys dorm they found Gaara on the couch watching a DVD with a stern expression on his face, she could tell he was fighting the Shukaku for control and she shuddered. This sharp movement caught his attention and he looked up at the approaching pair but was drawn mostly to the shorter of the two.

Sakura could see the pain in his face more clearly now and almost ran across the room so embrace her best friend, her brother and cling tightly. 'I'm sorry, you needed me the most at this time and I wasn't there for you, just like I haven't been there for you for a while now but I promise I'll always be here for you now, no matter what.' She could feel Gaara tremble beneath her but after a short moment the shudders started to decrease and then eventually stop. He wrapped arms around her and squeezed tightly before he collapsed on the floor.

Sakura gave a squeak as he pulled her down with him and then panicked as he didn't respond to her at all. She immediately lifted him onto the couch and assessed him with her medical jutsu. She checked all the usual areas of problem but she couldn't tell if there was something physically wrong with him, but after she lifted the lids of his eyes and checked his pupils did she remember that he had hardly slept for the past few months and that must have exhausted his body, the evidence of this was from his diminished figure and black rimmed eyes.

She looked at Lee with wide eyes and a slightly frantic look about her, 'do you know if he slept last night?'

Lee thought back but all he could remember was worrying about her last night, although he can remember that he had went upstairs to attempt to sleep just after midnight and Gaara was still downstairs. 'He was still up after midnight, I don't know when he went to his room but that was where he was when I came to you around four… I think his light was on at that time though, so I don't know, sorry.'

Sakura nodded quickly and went to the kitchen and ratched through the cupboards, she knew there had to be something in here she could use to help him sleep deeply. Then she saw the honey in the back and then after searching the spice rack she found some ground cinnamon in a packet. She knocked many things over or onto the floor in her hurry to find something that it made a racket and down came an agitated Naruto from his room.

'Do you have any idea how early it is?!' Naruto shouted angrily from the bottom of the stairs in his pyjamas, 'it's almost 7 in the morning and I would have liked to have a long lie in on the last day of the holidays.'

Lee went over to him as Sakura set off the microwave with a cup of milk inside it as she kept opening to check the temperature to ensure it didn't get too hot to drink. 'Gaara, our new roommate, has passed out, though we don't know why.' He told the blonde.

'Yes we do,' Sakura shouted through to them as she took the milk out from the fridge, 'he hasn't slept for the past few months that's why, and if he has it's been very little...I believe it's because of the Shukaku.' She was now stirring the milk after adding in two teaspoons of honey and a pinch of cinnamon and brought it through and sat down beside Gaara's propped up head, noticing the subdued expression on Naruto's face at the sight of the weak boy in front of him.

'I- I'm sorry I didn't know.' Naruto mumbled.

Sakura shook her head, 'it's fine, just could you go and get changed and get Lady Tsunade and bring her here to check him over properly.' He nodded and hurried on upstairs.

Sakura took Gaara's shoulders and held him upright as she poured the mixture down his throat making sure that he swallowed. Once he had drunk it all she placed the mug back on the table and laid him back down. She wiped her forehead and found it to be covered with a cold sweat.

'Can you help me move him upstairs?' Sakura asked Lee.

'Of course.' He said as he grabbed him from under the arms and she held his legs. The worked together quickly and efficiently, but that was to be expected from having such a close working relationship as theirs was, and they had soon laid him down on his bed and pulled the covers around him.

She waited a few minutes and heard Naruto run out the front door and so she knew help wouldn't be long and she breathed a sigh of relief.

'Hey his breathing seems easier.' Lee commented happily.

Sakura hadn't noticed but it seemed to be less laboured and irregular and sounded like someone deeply asleep. 'How did you notice the difference?' She asked.

'He seemed much worse when you were in the kitchen and so I could easily tell,' he held her hand and gave a quick squeeze, 'you did well, what did you give him?'

She smiled slightly, 'it was a herbal cure for insomnia which Lady Tsunade taught me to help people go into a deep state of sleep, I knew he needed sleep and since it seemed he hadn't slept out of worry for long periods of time I had to knock him out with a natural sedative like this.'

They didn't have to wait long before a worn-out Naruto and worried Lady Tsunade appeared in the open doorway. Sakura hurried up from her position by the bed as the older woman swept across the room and placed a hand on the redheads scalp and abdomen. She was checking him over for any problems but she breathed a sigh of relief when she felt nothing wrong.

'He'll be fine,' she said with a smile, 'you did well in giving him that drink to help him get some decent sleep, he should get plenty of rest to catch up on lost sleep and plenty of nutrients.'

Sakura smiled and slid onto the bed next to her friend. She was glad he was going to be okay.

'I'll be seeing you around.' Lady Tsunade said as she left the room with Naruto soon following as she gestured to him.

Sakura and Lee stayed silent as they both sat on the edge of the bed and watched Gaara as he slept to keep an eye on him. Lee rubbed her thigh gently to give comfort as she wrapped her arm around his waist grateful for the gesture. She looked at Lee and gave him a slightly forced smiled, 'I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on him if that's okay with you.'

He pulled her close to him and gently stroked her hair, 'whatever you want, I'll always be here for you. Anything you need and I'll get it for you.' He softly kissed her forehead and leaned back to look at her soft worried face.

'Thanks,' she said with a smile, knowing that she's too lucky to have someone like him to care for her, 'is it too much to ask for something to eat?'

'Nothing is too much when it's for you,' he said sweetly causing Sakura to blush slightly, 'what can I get for you?'

'Bacon.' She said with a hungry look on her face.

Lee laughed as he saw that look and smiled, 'then bacon you shall have.'

The first thing Gaara was aware of was that the presence of the Shukaku was unnaturally subdued. He could feel it hiding as if in a cage but it made no attempt to leave, he could tell that it felt something, it felt content. The next thing he became aware of was that there were people in the room with him. He was confused as to how he knew this since he could not hear them but he had a feeling that there was someone there, he wondered if this was due to the powers which had awoken within him which he still was yet to grasp. Although since his beast was quiet he knew the identity to at least one person there.

'Sakura?' He asked weakly as he tried to push himself up, he found that he was in bed and gathered that she must have taken him up when he passed out. He felt really groggy and disorientated as he tried to get up.

'No,' came a soft voice whom he knew was Sakura and felt a hand apply pressure on his torso to push him back, he would have resisted but he knew in his current state it was useless, 'you've got to get your rest.'

He shook his head but had no other choice but to lie back down. He could feel himself slowly wake up and he finally opened his eyes to see Sakura and Lee watching him with wary eyes. 'I'm fine, I just need to get up and do things.' He was worried that if he slept then the Shukaku would take over his body and the amount of effort he put in to stopping it from controlling him wore him out so much. 'What did you do to me?' He asked as he remembered that he woke up briefly after he had passed out to feel a liquid being poured down his throat.

'I gave you a herbal remedy to give you a good sleep; it was a natural sedative so it knocked you out for a good few hours.' She said feeling a bit guilty.

'What time is it?' He asked curiously.

'Almost 4.' She said after looking at the clock.

Gaara managed to lift himself up properly and propped himself against the headboard, 'how did you know what to do?' he asked confused.

Sakura giggled, 'my specialist training is in medical ninjutsu and that entails potions and treatments.'

'Medical ninjutsu?...Is that like first aid?' Gaara questioned.

'That's exactly what I said when I got told I was learning it,' she laughed, 'I forgot how much you don't know yet.'

Gaara gave a sad look. He was glad that he was finally with her friend but he hated not knowing about his heritage and who he was, how to control what he was capable of and everything else. 'Lady Tsunade told me that she was going to wait before she started to help train me but I really want to start now.'

'No!' Sakura said a little too loud, 'I mean, you're too weak right now to do anything and I'd rather you not until Lady Tsunade gives you the all clear.' She finished speaking on a quieter tone as if ashamed.

Gaara was slightly shocked by her outburst but before he could regain composure Lee spoke up, 'maybe he could.' Sakura gave him a sharp look which made him stop stroking her leg. 'What I mean is that he doesn't have to do anything physical but he could join us when we train and watch and start to learn some things, but not anything strenuous and could harm him.'

Gaara gave a courteous nod to him and back at Sakura. 'Alright fine,' she said with a huff and a poke in Lee's general direction, 'but you better not over-exert yourself or you'll be back in bed and waiting until you're strong enough.'

'Fine.' He said with a sigh, knowing that she'd be keeping a close eye on him now but glad that she was including him.

Gaara's stomach gave an enormous growl and he clutched it painfully.

'I think we should be heading down to dinner, it should be about time it's served.' Sakura said checking the time.

She headed out the door and turned around, 'Gaara, you better get changed into something warmer and bring a scarf and a pair of gloves. You know what to do Lee, I'll meet you outside my dorm...and this time I mean it.' She said with a smile at the latter of the two.

She hurried to her dorm to find that it was quiet as everyone must have been down at dinner and after getting changed, she found Lee and Gaara standing by her front door. Gaara was wrapped up in his thickest jumper and had his usual red scarf and gloves as she told him to.

'Good boy.' She laughed at him as she pulled his hat down over his eyes.

'Dammit Sakura don't do that.' Gaara growled back at her as he grabbed and pulled it back up.

'Try and catch me then,' she gave him a wink and with a practised push of her chakra filled feet she appeared to have disappeared and suddenly she was at the end of the hallway waving at him, 'well come on then.'

Gaara stood wide-eyed staring at the spot where she disappeared and then swapping to the spot where she appeared again, 'how the hell did you do that?'

Lee and Gaara started walking to her position where they started to carry on, 'you can do all kinds of things when you're in this profession.'

Gaara sighed, 'I guess I'll have to wait to learn it then.'

Sakura gave him a quick look, 'of course you'll have to, I am not allowing you to do anything when you're in this condition.'

'I'm fine.' Gaara said stubbornly.

'Really?' Sakura questioned, 'then why do you have to hold onto Lee-kun if you're fine and can walk properly?'

'Oh shush.' Gaara grumbled as he swapped to and held tightly onto Sakura's outstretched arm.

'Then don't lie to me,' Sakura stated, 'I don't want you to be hurt when there's something I could do to stop it from happening.'

Gaara could see her reasoning, he was really tired still and most of his body ached from exhaustion and lack of nutrients. 'Okay, fine. I'll wait until Lady Tsunade gives me the go ahead, but until then I'm still allowed to sit in on your training sessions, agreed?'

'Okay, agreed, as long as you keep warm while you're outside with us because unlike at home the winters are very harsh.' Sakura replied, she could understand his eagerness. After all she was exactly the same when she became aware if this secret world.

Whatever retort Gaara was about to give it was silenced by an almighty growl at the scent of food. Sakura started to giggle, 'sounds like somebody's hungry.'

'Starving.' He agreed.

'Everyone will be here, you sure that you'll be okay?' Sakura probed, just to confirm he was okay.

'If I don't do it now then I never will. I can't hide forever.' He replied nodding.

Lee, who had remained silent as he wasn't as close as the two of them were, leaned toward Sakura and kissed the top of her head while whispering, 'you needn't worry about him, I'm sure everyone will be very welcoming to him.'

She looked at him in surprise as he softly chuckled in her ear, 'I know you too well after all.'

She smiled at him as he pulled away and flashed his signature smile, God how much she loved that smile. It made her feel all gooey inside and that as long as that smile remained on his face then everything was right in the world. She nodded in agreement, she should have no reason to worry, they were all cast-outs in the normal world and will band together despite the differences they may have.

Turning the next corner they reached the dining hall. They reached received a plate of food and headed to the group's usual table. Gaara seemed to tense up when he saw the amount of people there but he knew that Sakura was there for him and wouldn't let anything happen to him.

'Hey everybody, we have a new student.' Sakura spoke loudly, everyone who was there looked up at the new group who were currently sitting down. Gaara sat down between Sakura and Lee. 'This is Gaara; he's an old friend of mine from Suna.'

They were met with a chorus of welcomes and Sakura introduced each of them to him, 'that's Shikamaru and Choji, Naruto you've already met, that's Hinata and here is Ino my best friend here.'

Gaara nodded at each of them in turn and continued to eat in silence. Neji, Kiba and Tenten turned up soon after and he was introduced to each of them, again he nodded and continued to eat. He thought they seemed nice but he couldn't help but feel secluded from them, he knew that they were all different and he was probably rather normal but he didn't feel much like conversing with others; he didn't feel comfortable in this new environment.

He looked at Sakura and then at Lee, he was envious about how they felt so comfortable but he gathered that was due to the length of time that they've known each other.

Soon enough Lee gave the indication to Sakura that it was time to go when other members were starting to leave, most likely to go and put things away after visiting family and friends back home.

'Come on then, follow us.' Sakura said giving a pat on Gaara's shoulder. He rose gently and slowly as he suddenly felt weak. She noticed this but chose not to say anything but along the way to their usual training grounds he said quietly so Gaara wouldn't hear, 'let's make it a short one,' pointing to Gaara discreetly. Lee nodded, he also thought it was a good idea to make it short, not only because the new member was just about being able to stand on their feet but also because Sakura has hardly had any time to rest after their recent mission.

After a quick warm up of running around the track nearby they headed into the dense forest which hid them from view.

'This'll be a great place to train.' Lee said as he examined the crowded trees.

Sakura nodded and motioned to Gaara to sit down on a log far enough out to not be involved in the training session but close enough to observe them which he took without question and rubbed some warmth into his arms. 'I'll go easy on you.' She said with a wink and a musical laugh to Lee.

'Oh I'm sure you will.' He said sarcastically wishing that Gaara wasn't there watching so that he could give his girlfriend a playful slap on the behind, followed by a gentle caress and to be able to squeeze it. Lee couldn't help but wish that he could just stick his head in between her chest and he knew he would be so happy right now. In his head all he could see was the two of them in bed as she was moaning his name sensually, her hands all over his body and his on hers and suddenly he felt this desire to carry through with this idea. Hormones controlling his thoughts and behaviour rather than his usual rational side was not normal for him.

'You ready?' Sakura asked giving him a sceptical look as she noticed him stare off into space with a twinkle in his eye.

Lee snapped out of his voluptuous daze as flushed brightly, 'huh? Yeah, sorry,' he shook his head and prepared himself to fight.

Sakura gathered her chakra and felt the familiar warmth run through her skin like an electric current, allowing it to be easily at hand for whenever the need arose. She knew she had to be on her toes at this point as she was used to how Lee worked and was familiar with his style which usually involved a full on assault and she needed to be agile and stay out the way. His taijutsu skills were exceptional and she knew that he had many techniques which he kept to himself and has never told her, some she believed were for her own safety but others were due to the secrecy which every ninja has, even to people however close they are.

When Lee gave a nod to signal that he was ready, she gracefully back-flipped, pulled up a face mask over her nose and mouth and dropped a smoke bomb which had a hint of pepper spray in; her own invention. It exploded in a controlled explosion of deep red gas as she landed at the base of a tree outside of the blast range which Lee was caught up in. _Perfect, she thought, now I can set up my trap_. She quickly had it set up and jumped up into the tree for cover.

Lee was still in the middle of the clearing which had now cleared of the majority of the smoke and was coughing and covering his face. He looked around but he couldn't see any trace of her but that was due to the tears which were streaming down his face and the gas which still stung his eyes. His vision started to clear up but only enough to notice the paper bomb in front of him only due to hearing the sound of the kunai it was attached to being embedded in the ground. He leapt backwards crossing his arms to protect from the blast and landed on the side of a tree in a crouched position.

Sakura smirked as Lee fell for her plan and she cut a rope which set off a barrage of kunai to be aimed for the exact place Lee was. Out of pure instinct Lee pushed off the tree and back down to the ground. This was met by an attack of Sakura's as she came into close quarters and using a kunai went for the kill. Lee was surprisingly fast for being disadvantaged and retaliated by pulling out a kunai of his own and a loud clang was made as they collided. Sakura's free hand came quickly as a punch was given but he easily blocked with his elbow. They struggled against each other as they both wanted to be the victor of this skirmish but at this point they were equally matched in current strength and ability and neither made any progress in attacking with their kunai.

Suddenly Sakura pulled back, spun upon one heel and with the other kicked backwards catching Lee upon the jaw with her heel, surprising him and flinging him up off his feet. She jumped upon him once he fell back onto the ground on his back and held the kunai against his throat. 'Heh-heh, I win.' She smiled, panting a little as she was slightly out of breath.

Lee couldn't help but stare deep into her eyes and was still amazed by the beauty he could see in those shimmering emerald eyes which he loved so much. His desire for her was unequalled which caused him to become distracted and lose the fight, he didn't care though, as long as he had her then he already had his prize. Without thinking his rough bandaged hand reached up and cradled the back of her head and pulled her down to meet his lips. At first she was shocked and only kissed back a little but once this passed she forced herself against him as much as she could feeling the same need which Lee was. He felt a throb rush through him which felt so good that he gasped in shock through the kiss. Oh god yes this was what he needed, not wanted but needed, it had already gone through the desire and had now become a necessity. His other hand curled around her lower back and gripped to the uniform tightly crushing her body against his as much as he could without hurting her.

Gaara was amazed by their fight and how quickly that it was over, he could have sworn that if he blinked then he would have missed it. But upon the ending of the fight he couldn't help but feel awkward, as if he was witnessing something which was private and he shouldn't be there. He coughed slightly out of embarrassment and looked away trying to divert his gaze as a bright red blush appeared across his face. The heightened senses of the two ninja easily heard him and quickly pulled apart in shame, they were so caught up in the moment that they had both forgotten about Gaara. They quickly helped each other up and hurried over to see him.

'So what do you think?' Sakura asked avoiding eye contact due to the awkward situation.

Gaara looked at the two of the ninja and had suddenly realised how real this was and how amazing the two of them were. He was speechless but all he managed to utter was, 'wow.'

She smiled and hugged her friend, 'it's all amazing isn't it?'

'Just a bit.' He breathed.

'You'll get used to it eventually, Sakura-chan did. She took to it so well it was like she born for this life.' Lee said wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing the top if her head affectionately.

'Thanks. I hope you all, not just you two but everyone, can help with this new world.'

'I'll make sure they do,' Sakura spoke, 'but I don't think you have that issue here, everyone is so friendly and they can understand what you're going through. It's not too scary when you know this.'

Gaara shivered even under the thick winter clothing.

'We need to get back in. It's probably enough for today.' Sakura said giving Lee a meaningful look.

'Yeah sounds good, we can go back to the dorms and have a nice hot drink and a shower to warm up.' Lee agreed.

The redhead was confused, 'you've hardly done anything, just one little fight and a quick warm up.'

Sakura nodded, 'that may be true but we only just got back from a long training mission and we didn't think it would be good to push ourselves too much because it would be wise to relax.'

He couldn't argue with that. He knew that he would see more later when he was feeling better but he knew the real reason why the session was shorter than he expected was because of his condition. 'Okay let's get something to drink then.'

****Start of smut scene, skip to the next section if you're not wanting to read this bit****

After the hard days training and the stressful events of that morning Sakura was grateful for the steamy hot water which fell from her lithe frame like water off a ducks back. A shower was exactly what she needed to de-stress. She felt unfair having stolen the use of Lee's shower but it was definitely needed and he had almost begged her to stay.

She turned the water off and stepped out into the steamy bathroom and tightly wrapped a towel around herself to dry off while she brushed her teeth and dried and straightened her hair and generally went through the secret process for female beauty. Looking around she couldn't see her change of clothes anywhere. She started to panic and her heart rate rose. How could she have forgotten her clothes like that? She had already thrown her uniform out of the bathroom into the wash basket of Lee bedroom and so she was left in the bathroom with no clothes to change into. How embarrassing would it be for her to come out of the bathroom naked into a bedroom that wasn't hers? According to the huge blush which had involuntarily spread across her face, it was a lot.

_Okay Sakura, just calm down, she thought, you're both grown-ups and he's your boyfriend after all it shouldn't be a problem for you to leave here and say you forgot your change of clothes and then come back here to change. Buck up Sakura and stop being such a coward._

Following what her inner voice said, she took a deep breath and steeled herself against the pounding in her heart. She made sure that she was fully covered and opened the door before she could change her mind.

Lee looked up at the sound of the door opening. He was already changed into a tight black t-shirt and a pair of dark green shorts. He expected to see Sakura exit with her usual bubble-gum pink fluffy hoodie and matching tracksuit bottoms, except what he was faced with instead was her wrapped in one of his large towels with nothing else. He struggled painfully to keep his eyes averted but he couldn't help but stare at the cute and also sexy figure in front of him. This was the first time he could say that he had seen her without clothes on and he could say that he liked it, and he hadn't even seen the whole show. Sakura looked at him and noticed that he was staring and caused her blush to grow even brighter.

'Umm, sorry. I forgot my clothes. Can you hand me them?' She asked. She noticed how much Lee was staring and she started to feel self-conscious about her body and how it looked so she gave the job to him to stop him from looking her up and down.

He gazed at where she was pointing and grabbed the pile. He started to walk towards her and while he did he couldn't help but slow down and notice certain details, such as the toned muscles of hers and in particular the small droplets of steam and sweat which radiated from her body was a really nice sight.

Sakura noticed the same twinkle in his eye as before and had to avert her gaze away to avoid eye contact and pulled the towel more tightly around her. Everything felt weird, she suddenly felt really warm while standing in the slightly chilly room as her heart started racing.

He had just reached in front of her and she held her hand out to grab the clothes and then run back into the bathroom to hide her shameful body which she believed he didn't like. Just as she was about to take the clothes, Lee spoke.

'You're beautiful.' He dropped the clothes before she could grab them and he leaned down to give her a gentle caress, his hand brushed gently from her ear to her chin and back again

'Lee-kun.' She breathed.

'Just like the blooming Sakura trees in early April. No, more so. Nothing on Earth can equal your beauty.' His voice so soft as if she was only inches away yet she heard every word of it and all tugging on her heart strings.

She met his eyes with hers and she could see the truth in them. She tilted her head back and Lee knew this tell. He leaned down and briefly pressed his moist lips against her own soft ones.

'I love you Sakura-chan.' He uttered placing his forehead against hers and deeply exploring her sparkling eyes whilst continuing to caress her face.

'I love you too,' she whispered back, 'with all my heart.' Her hands had trailed to grip his muscular chest and curl around the back of his neck and pulled him down to meet her once more. Her lips parted and covered Lee's moving them with her own as she deepened the kiss, her efforts earning a moan from her partner. Giggling lightly she softly played with her tongue and tickled the edges of Lee's lips until he opened wide enough to allow her full exploration of his deep wet cavern as he returned the favour. She inhaled deeply and gasped at the sensations he was causing her to feel and the heat which was constantly growing more hot and more intense and spread throughout her whole body.

Lee, being driven mad, started to doubt his restraint and couldn't resist any longer. He lifted her up and placed her on the bed all the while never breaking from her lips. He climbed on the bed with her and leaned on top of her brushing his hand all the way down from her shoulder to her waist. He leaned back for both of them to catch their breath as he looked down and admired her figure. He noticed that the towel had slightly fallen and there was an even redder blush on his face. Without him even thinking he reached to pull on the towel to completely expose her yet he was met with resistance, Sakura gasped loudly and had grabbed on the towel to stop it from moving.

'I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself, you're so irresistible. I just want to look.' He spoke quietly and nervously.

Sakura controlled her breathing and slowly nodded. 'I-I'm scared after all, I don't want you to go all the way.'

Lee soothed her by gently stroking her forearm, 'if you don't want to of course I won't go that far,' he leaned in close to her ear, 'but I can still make it feel good if you want.' He could feel the heat from her breath go through his t-shirt to his skin making him shiver with need. He sat up properly and tugged at the tight shirt slowly revealing rock hard abs and a well-toned body, one which most guys would kill to have, and threw the object over to the other side of the room without losing eye contact with the other.

Sakura gulped and lightly licked her lips at the sight as she nodded at Lee's proposal in response. She knew that she would have to build up to it but she needed to get used to the idea of what comes before first. Lee returned to her with a perfect cheeky smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss her. He gently parted her lips with his own and casually relaxed her by flicking her with his tongue causing hers to jolt with excitement, and play back whilst she moaned over how good he was at it. Once she was amply distracted he slid off the towel which was covering the last part of her soft skin and returned to stroking her arm as he pulled back again and looked in wonder at what he believed was a goddess incarnate.

She held her breath as she waited for his judgement but as he was speechless she couldn't help but feel nervous that he didn't like what he saw and she start to curl up to hide her body from view. She was stopped in her tracks as he gently held her hand and looked in her eyes.

'Don't do that, you're absolutely gorgeous, you have nothing to worry about.' He gently kissed her as he let go of hand and brushed the skin below her neck and softly down the middle of her chest. When he reached her navel he stopped and returned up the way but once he reached her chest he moved and started to rub the large mounds which resided there.

'Aah.' A loud moan escaped her lips as she felt the sensations running through her, if felt so good. His rough skinned hands felt like they were leaving burning hot trails over her body but it wasn't painful; instead the heat which was left behind seeped into her skin making her temperature rise dramatically.

Her arms wrapped around him, one to cradle the back of his head restraining him to keep tormenting her mouth while the other held onto the tight muscles of his shoulder. Her mouth opened wider inviting him to go deeper and create brand new sensations which send shivers of desire throughout her body. This, with the continuous fondling of her well-developed breasts, caused so much pleasure run through her that she could hardly think straight.

A shocked gasp could be heard from Sakura as she pulled away for breath as she felt something strange which had never happened before.

Worried, Lee pulled away, 'what's wrong? Are you okay?' He asked hurriedly.

After a deep steadying breath she smiled, 'yeah, sorry, I'm fine.'

Placing weight on her arm and pushing herself up to meet him to place a heated kiss on the side of his neck earning a groan from the raven-head, she carried on to his ear as she whispered, 'you got me just a little excited and it surprised me.'

She pulled back and Lee could see the blush and the awkward expression on her face when he suddenly understood, he'd succeeded in turning her on and she was getting wet down below. He smirked as fingers trailed down her body until he reached a very heated place. He was already getting there before but now his member was fully erect and throbbing happily when he felt the swollen area and the wet liquid which had just trickled out of her.

Sakura could feel something hard poking on the inside of her leg and she realised just how much Lee loved her and her body. A ticklish sensation spread through her as Lee sensually rubbed the folds there and Lee's fingers were involved in the flood which came. She didn't believe that she could experience such pleasure but here she was groaning under what he was doing to her.

'Seems like somebody likes it.' Lee teased as she gently stroked the area.

It took Sakura a moment to reply, she was so caught up in the moment that she kept her eyes closed, 'oh god yes! It feels so good, I want more.'

'You want more?'

'...Please,' she begged.

'Guess I'll have to comply then.' He kissed her neck right where it joins with the shoulders and lightly nibbled it while slowly pushing a digit within her.

Of course it hurt a little to Sakura, after all nothing like this has happened to her before, but she bit her lip and allowed him to continue. She could feel him slowly get deeper as the pain started to increase. Once his finger was fully inserted she could feel him start to probe the wet walls with the tip, for what she didn't know but she figured she would soon enough. She tried anything to try and distract her from the pain but there was not a lot and a small tear fell from her eye.

Lee noticed this and held her hand with his unoccupied one and kissed her deeply, hopefully this would distract her long enough until she became accustomed to him. He wriggled his finger trying to soothe the muscle wall to relax and allow him better access but it was so tight he couldn't help but wish he could properly bury himself within her but he promised not to and he wasn't going to betray her trust or he'd never be able to do this again anytime soon. Rubbing the tip of his finger along the tissue, he tried to find her sweet spot; he knew that this would feel insanely good for her and stop her pain from showing.

Suddenly a spasm wracked her body as he brush along a rough area within her. Just by touching it Sakura became wetter and almost caused her choke on her own saliva from shock.

As if he hadn't known already she exclaimed loudly, 'aah, just there!'

'Here?' He teased as he rubbed the area again a bit more roughly as he started to pull out and pushed back in again.

'Yes! Do it again.' She was enveloped in the pleasure which now started to replace the pain and she felt in heaven. He did it again as he received a huge groan which escaped her and made her feel that she didn't care what happened now as long as he could do this all the time.

He increased his thrusting as he sped up in response to her moans and groans which he heard leave her mouth. Oh how he loved pleasing his girlfriend like this is made him so happy knowing that she was squirming like this just for him because of how turned out he made her. When he felt she was ready he then added an extra finger brining the slightest of pain drowned out by the extra pleasure which the extra digit brought.

The pressure within her started to build up as the digits stopped the leaking of fluids from her and made the sensations so much more intense.

'Hnnn, L-l-lee-kun...' Sakura stuttered, hardly able to fully form a sentence without a shudder rushing through her, 'I-I don't know how m-much m-more of this I can take.'

'Just let go.' Lee commanded, and Sakura obliged.

'Lee-kun!' She screamed as she exploded from within and her vision went out of focus.

Lee pulled out slowly as to not cause any discomfort to her and lay down beside her as she cuddled into him. He still felt discomfort in his pants as he could feel her delicate warm body tightly crushed up against him in a cuddle. Her hands wrapped around him and stroked against his strong chest as she caught her breath.

'Oh god you were amazing at that.' She panted happily as she gripped onto him tighter and smiled.

Lee kissed the top of her head, 'only for you. I'm happy I got you to feel so good.'

'I can't wait for next time.' She giggled as leaned over his chest to look at him. 'I love you so damn much.'

He brushed some stray hair from her face and behind her ear, 'I love you too.'

'Good,' she smiled as she turned over so she was now sitting on his abdomen, 'now it's my turn to please you.' she whispered sexily as she cradled his wide-eyed face.

'You don't have to.' He said startled, he had no idea that she was going to do anything to him; he didn't expect any of it. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want it but he didn't want to force her into anything.

'You've given me everything tonight; I want to pay you back for it.'

'Don't feel you have to just because of that though.' He felt guilty if that was the only reason she was going to.

She placed a finger on his lips to keep him quiet, 'no, I want to please you just as you've done for me because I feel you deserve it.'

He nodded and pulled her in for a quick kiss. One which he knew would lead to many more pleasures.

Sakura kissed the side of his mouth, then his cheek, then his jaw, all the way down to his chest. The hot breath from her spread across his skin as she slid down to his body. Electricity seemed to shoot through his body every time brushed along his skin and whenever she returned to kiss a new part of his body as she headed to his crotch. His hands gripped the bed sheets from underneath him in expectance for that came next as he felt her reach the top of his tight boxers which pained him as his member strained against the constricting material.

Before he even realised she was already sliding them down until they were dropped on the bedroom floor. He felt so much better that he sighed out of the relief it gave him. Now knowing that they were both fully naked caused him to squirm in delight as he could feel him member throb with excitement.

'Lee-kun?' Sakura questioned, 'I'll try and do my best for you.'

He looked at her and then pulled her into a deep, satisfying kiss, 'anything you do will be amazing.' He smiled at her and let her go while he propped himself up against the headboard preparing himself for what was to come.

She took a deep steadying breath, when she came face to face with his large manhood she started doubt if she could bring herself to do it, it was quite a task for her.

She steadily reached out and with using one finger she slid from the head to the base and back again in a teasing manner; she wanted to gauge her abilities first before doing anything else. She also knew she couldn't do this on her own so first.

'Just tell me how you want it and I'll do it, I want this to be how you want it.' If she was at least given directions he was sure she could do this much easier, after all, she loved him and wanted him to enjoy himself like she did.

Lee was holding his breath since she started stroking him and couldn't hold it any more, his sudden whoosh of breath leaving him was heard before he spoke, 'Just stop teasing and keep going.'

The pleasure within him rose as she grabbed onto his dick properly and slid her hand up and down. 'Hnng, yeah that's better. Bit faster and that would be amazing.'

It was slow at first but once she got the hang of it Sakura started to speed up, she could hear the sounds which came from Lee and it felt great to know that she was causing him to grunt like he was and it improved her self-confidence as she started to grip tighter too.

'Mmmmmm.' He moaned trying to stop himself from allowing it to escape.

'Sweety, just let it out. I want to hear you.' Sakura probed.

'Aaaah! Sakura-chan, you're so good at this!' Lee let escape him, he was lost in the feelings which were washing over him. All he could feel was the pressure inside as he felt a spurt of precum dribble down the side of his penis and over the hand which spread the juices up and down the lengthy rod, making it easier for her to move and increasing the pleasure he felt.

'Oh hell I love you!' He whined loudly.

She knew she could take it further so she slid of the bed and dragged him to the edge. He had no idea what was happening but he gave a slight yelp as she left him.

Before he could question why or utter a complaint, her head suddenly flung down and licked the throbbing member. He almost choked on his breath and his head was flung backwards and his arms went backwards to steady himself. She continued this for a minute which started to drive Lee crazy, he was about to reach out and make her suck on it but she did it herself and his arm covered his eyes as he started to pant out.

Bobbing as she used her tongue to the best she could as she stimulated the nerve on the tip and then licking up and down the shaft while she moved. She sent a series of vibrations up through Lee's body creating more desire within him. Once she was accustomed to the size of it she started to get faster and to go deeper to however Lee asked. She started to suck and create a pressure which increased the pleasure she gave to him.

He couldn't hold back anymore as he held onto the back of her head and pushed her down onto more of his 8 inches. It felt so good that he knew he wasn't going to last much longer and he wanted to get all he could from it before he blew.

'I don't think I can last much longer.' He panted out.

His hips bucked forward of their own accord causing her to take all of him within her, she almost gagged but she managed to not. He could feel the pressure it caused on him as he could feel the tension build to maximum and he released his seed whilst he shouted her name loudly.

Sakura was shocked to feel a warm salty liquid hit the back of her throat as he came in her mouth. She had nothing else she could do but swallow the salty liquid which started to burn her throat. She released him as the member slipped from her mouth and she started to breathe deeply as if running a short race. It was still an invigorating feeling being able to please him as she just had.

'Sakura-chan. You. Are. Mind-blowing. That was just absolutely amazing.' Lee spoke in awe as he started to regain his composure after the night's events, 'you're hands are like magic. I'll never get bored of that.'

She smiled at the compliment, she was happy that he enjoyed himself, she enjoyed pleasing him.

'I think we both need to have another shower.' Sakura laughed as she looked up at him.

'You mind if I go in first? I never got a chance to before.' Lee smiled.

'Anything for you.' Sakura grinned, happy that she was much closer to Lee than she had ever been before.

****End of smut scene****

The shower which washed away the sweat and grime from the day's events was much needed and as she stepped out of the bathroom into her usual clothing and seeing Lee lying in his bed waiting for her to come to bed made her smile brightly.

'Hey beautiful.' he said as she crawled into bed and cuddled into him.

'Hey there.' She sighed happily.

'You all ready for bed now?' He asked cheerfully as he ruffled her slightly damp hair.

'Only if you are,' she said after growling at him and while straightening the messed up pink hair.

'I am, but there's something I need to tell you.' Lee said while looking away and sounding sad.

'Hey, what is it?' Sakura panicked as she turned his face back to hers and seeing the pained expression in his face.

'It's hard to say...' He trailed off.

Sakura became scared; she wasn't used to this sad Lee. He was always happy and bouncy and worrying over others not being the one to cause others to worry, 'Lee-kun? Tell me, please?'

'I'm going to have to leave you.' His words sounded like a lead weight that had tied itself around her legs and was now dragging her deep into the dark, scary, endless ocean in which she had no escape.

**Dun, dun, duuuuun.**

**What's going to happen next then? Would you like to take a guess, why would Lee be leaving her?**

**Sorry if you hate me for this cliffhanger ending but it seemed the best place to end :(**

**I'll get started on the next chapter as soon as possible so hopefully you won't hate me too much and it will be uploaded sooner.**

**On a plus side if all goes to plan then I'll have finished college in the first week of next month so that would mean that I'd have more time to write and hopefully I'll be finished this fanfic by I go to University in September**

**Bye bye for now xx**


	25. Chapter 25: Misunderstanding

**Umm...so yeah...hope you haven't forgotten me. It's been so long since I felt inspired to write anything. I've kinda been too busy with everything happening the past year or so and it's been busy to find time to do anything but sleep. Sorry guys :/ but yeah I'm gonna try and keep up with writing this so it can finally finish and I won't feel guilty about not doing anything. I know I really left it on a cliffhanger last time so I apologise for that and hope that this can clear that up. I can't say how long this fanfic has left but I'll try and get it finished soon**

* * *

><p>Sakura couldn't believe her ears when she heard those words coming from Lee. She stared vacantly at him, hoping to find some clue that it was all a joke and that he wasn't planning on leaving her yet she did not see anything of the sort in his stoic and pained expression. <em>She must have just heard things<em> she thought.

'What? What do you mean?' She spoke hoping to be told differently. It was a moment before he spoke but it felt like an age, each second became even more agonising for her. _Lee. Leaving. Her._ It was all what went through her mind, all control of her body was lost and her tears blurred her vision. She was so confused she never thought that those words could ever be put together like that but they were and couldn't find any sense in it.

Lee noticed the tears starting to appear in her eyes and he realised what he'd said and how it had came out and a sudden rush of guilt swept over him. 'Oh gosh, Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise how it came out.' He reached to embrace her and gently stroked her hair as he felt the few tears which escaped trickle softly onto his tshirt and seep through to dampen his shoulder.

'I didn't mean it like that at all, you should know that I would never leave your side.' Lee pulled back and brushed the tears from her eyes.

'Then what do you mean?' She sniffed and held tightly onto him.

'My father's been seriously injured.' Lee said torn, he didn't mean for her to pick him up the wrong way. He didn't want to leave her alone here while he went to see his father but his father was very important to him too and he needed to see if he was okay especially in the condition he was in, it was possible it could be the last time he even sees him again. 'He was involved in the incident with Gaara and he's apparently in a life-threatening condition. I have to see if he's okay and be there for him when he wakes up.'

Sakura looked at his pained expression and the sound of her sobs died down but tears were still freely trickling softly down her flushed cheeks.

'Gaara hurt Gai-sensei?' She questioned, her voice thick with tears, 'how do you know?'

'Lady Tsunade told me just when I went to meet Gaara, she took me to one side and told me what happened.'

'I-I see. When are you going?'

'I leave in the morning.'

Sakura looked up in shock, 'that's too soon, why didn't you tell me sooner?' She demanded

Lee sighed heavily, 'I didn't want to put you through anymore pain than you already were.'

A silence had befell the pair, both of them lost in their thoughts.

Sakura couldn't help but feel abandoned, despite knowing that nothing can be helped and he really did need to go, but she couldn't help but feel cold at the prospect of her being alone with nobody to comfort her. She couldn't show any weakness in front of anybody else, she was known to be tough and was really in control of her emotions (most of the time anyway) and she especially had to be strong to support Gaara through this tough time as she knew what it was like. Yet she knew it was going to be ten times worse for Gaara considering the beast within him and he would have to depend on her to continue fighting for control. She didn't feel like she would be able to help at all without the love of her life to support her.

Lee cleared his throat, 'Are you okay?' He wiped away at the tears which were drying on her cheeks.

She shook her head not really trusting herself to be able to talk without crying yet again.

'Please, just talk to me, I need to know exactly what's wrong, I want to know what I can do.' He hated when he saw her crying, even more so when it was because of him that she was. He had to do everything he possibly could to stop it and to prevent it from happening yet again.

'I ju-just don't know if I can stay strong with you gone, I don't even know what I can do without you here with me.' Her eyes started to become wet again but she took deep breaths and tried to suck them back in.

'Of course you will, you're one of the strongest people I know, I know you can do absolutely anything. You were strong before you and I became one and you know it, deep down you haven't changed and you will be able to cope without me. Just by being nearby since first laying eyes on you I have steadily became a stronger person both physically and mentally just because of your influence so please just trust me when I say you can do it.' Lee smiled through his speech, every word of it was true, he needed, no wanted, to become a better person just so he could be equal to her and even further so that he could protect her in times when she needed him to, no matter the situation. This just so happened to be one of those times.

'Lee-kun…' She spoke amazed and astounded by the words which he used to describe her, a faint blush came to her.

'I wanna hear you promise, promise me Sakura-chan that you'll believe in me and so believe in yourself. Please.' He demanded rather than asked, staring directly into her glistening emerald eyes.

She could see the determined expression on his face and she couldn't help but smile a little and give a sudden giggle as she found it quite amusing. 'I promise.'

'Thank you. So then,' he kissed her gently on the nose and smiled, 'shall we head to sleep now?'

Sakura looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was well passed 2am and creeping closer to 3 and knew that it was probably a good idea to sleep, she may feel better once she slept it off. She nodded and wiped at her face removing all traces of her earlier crying as Lee reached to turn off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness except from the light of the full-moon shining through the cracks of the curtains, illuminating everything in a silvery veil. She could easily see the outline of Lee's face as he wrapped the bed-sheets around her and envelop her in his grip. He gently pressed his lips to hers giving a short but sweet kiss goodnight.

'Sakura-chan, I love you, so much...If you can remember that then everything will be okay.' He laid back, staring at the ceiling as Sakura laid her head on his chest hearing the relaxing thud of his heart and feeling the soft rise and fall of his chest.

'I never forget it, I love you too.' She wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself closer to his hot body, desperate to seek his warmth on this chilly night.

'Goodnight and sleep well, my little cherry.' He soothed and his brushed her hair softly enjoying the ticklish feeling it brought.

'Night.' She spoke wearily as a sudden lethargy overcame her and she drifted into unconsciousness mere moments later as all the events of the day came to a close.

A sound of rustling broke through the barrier between sleep and reality and wrenched Sakura from her slumber. Her eyes shot open as she heard this, wondering what could cause that noise. Rubbing her eyes softly she say up and looked around. She spotted Lee walking around his softly lit room as he gathered certain belongings and packing them into a rucksack. Memories came flooding back as she remembered the night before and realised that he was packing up to visit his father in Suna Hospital and her eyes started to well up with the thought of him leaving. Sakura quickly looked away and thought of other things, she couldn't start crying again, not when he hadn't even left yet.

Lee turned around and saw that Sakura was awake, 'I'm sorry, did I wake you?' He put down what he was holding and sat on the edge of the bed taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

Shaking her head, Sakura gave a soft smile, 'no, I just woke up naturally.' This was a lie but she didn't want to make him feel bad for waking her up.

'Good,' his free hand found its way behind her neck and pulled her in for a long kiss, 'good morning,' he whispered as he pulled back.

Sakura felt a little breathless, she hadn't expected it but it still felt nice. A faint blush came to her face, 'good morning.' She beamed at him and giggled at his forwardness. She had to admit that she liked Lee a lot more when he is forward and taking control like a man should, it made her feel all warm and gooey inside.

At this sight Lee gave one of his signature grins and placed his forehead against hers and finding himself lost in her eyes which seemed to sparkle in the low light.

To the both of them time seemed to stop flowing and before they knew it the sun had risen to flood the room with light but neither took their eyes off the other. Both of them trying to communicate without the use of words of how much they'd miss each other. It was as if the world went to hell then it didn't matter because they would not have noticed it.

However there was a knock on the door and they both sprung apart in embarrassment at the situation.

'Y-yes?' Lee asked the mystery guest.

The door squeaked open as a mop of red hair peered around the edge of the door. It was Gaara and his face appeared to be the same colour as his hair.

'Can I help you?' Lee stood up and returned to packing as Sakura pulled the covers more securely around her.

'Um, yes. Naruto has just told me that Lady Tsunade wishes to see me later on today but he's left and I have no idea how to get there.' He spoke quietly eyes flitting between Lee and Sakura realising that he had came at a bad time and wanted to be away from there.

Sakura, still a little flushed from before spoke up, 'I can take you there and bring you back if you want after Lee goes.'

Gaara nodded once to confirm and pulled the door shut.

Lee looked at Sakura and noticed the same bewildered expression her face, 'any idea what that was about?'

Sakura shook her head, 'I'm just as confused as you are.'

Lee laughed loudly, 'what unusual behaviour.' He carried on packing as Sakura got up and went to the toilet. By the time that she had got herself changed and went through her daily routine, Lee had already finished packing and the now bulging pack was leaned against the piece of wall next to the door. He was sitting on the edge of the bed lost in thought. He didn't even seem to notice Sakura sit next to him until he felt her place a hand on his shoulder in concern.

'Hey Sakura-chan.' He placed a smile on his face.

'What's wrong?' She asked.

'No-nothing.' He stammered.

'There is, tell me.'

He sighed heavily, 'I wish I didn't have to leave you behind, I wish you could be with me on this trip.'

'Well, why not?' She asked curious.

'School starts again tomorrow, I'm not risking you being caught behind in work.' He stated simply.

'And what about you? You'll be missing school too.'

He smiled, 'but you know me, I'm ahead in all my work. Sometimes you struggle with the simplest of things.'

He was teasing her and she could tell, 'hey I'm not that bad.'

'No I know you're not. I know with the teachers here, especially the Hokage, that you'll be safe but if you came with me and I was elsewhere I couldn't guarantee that something wouldn't happen,' he said sadly, he didn't know if he could protect her with the distraction of his father and he couldn't to risk it, 'afterall Gaara needs you here and I don't think he would be fit to leave here just yet.'

This time it was Sakura's turn to sigh heavily, 'you're right….as always.'

She slid off the bed and knelt on the floor in front of him forcing him to look at her, 'just promise me one thing.'

'You know I would, Sakura-chan, anything for you.' He told her.

Tears threatened to spill, 'Promise me you'll come home safe no matter what. Please.' She begged him.

Lee nodded, 'I promise.'

'And call me while you're there, even if it's just once a day to tell me how you are.'

'Of course I will.'

She embraced him, placed her head on his shoulder and whispered 'thank you.'

Lee was slightly taken aback and caught by surprise but he then held her as close as he could without hurting her but still holding tightly.

'I know you worry about me but there's no need for you to.' Lee soothed her.

'I can't help it.'

'I'm really sorry but it's about time I go.' Lee sighed.

The grip on Lee tightened not wanting to let him go but the moment passed and Sakura loosened her grip allowing Lee to gently push her out the way so that he could stand up.

Sakura remained kneeling on the floor staring in one place while Lee walked to the door.

'Sakura-chan?' Lee questioned, 'aren't you coming?'

She gracefully stood up and shuffled towards the door and to Lee's outstretched hand.

'You know I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't need to but you know why I do. I don't want to leave you at all and I wish that things could be different but we have to just deal with this.' Lee stroked the hair out of her face.

'I know,' she mumbled, 'but I just know how much I'm gonna miss you and I don't even know how long you'll be gone.'

'I've promised that I'll phone you and I'll text you between those times to pass the time. You should know that I will never stop thinking about you even for a minute and you'll always be in my dreams. I love you so much and that will never change no matter how many miles are between us.' Lee vowed.

Tears welled in her eyes, 'I love you too, I just wish you didn't have to go.'

Gently Lee kissed her, 'I wish I didn't either… But I really do have to go now, otherwise I'll never be able to leave you.'

She looked away but nodded, 'Okay, let's go then.'

The cold wind rushed past them as they stood outside in the pouring rain as if the heavens could tell exactly how the two were feeling. Lee opened the car door and threw his bag on the passenger seat and then turned around to face Sakura.

'You better get back inside or you'll catch a cold and we can't have that happen can we?' He looked concerned as Sakura was starting to shiver.

'I-I'm f-f-f-fine.' She almost bit her tongue.

He pulled her into a rib-crushing hug trying to lend some warmth to her. She held on with just as much effort. Trying to contain her negative feelings to prevent him from worrying, instead she simply enjoyed the warmth his grip brought her and smiled softly.

'Now don't forget anything I've said because every word is true, I won't break any of my promises and I promise I'll stay safe out there as long as you stay safe too.' Lee stroked her wet hair and whispered in her ear.

Through all the wind she could still perfectly hear him and she nodded into his shoulder, 'I know it is and I won't forget,' then she giggled, 'I don't think I can get into much trouble stuck here.'

Lee smiled his signature smile and gave a big thumbs up as he pulled away, 'that's my girl.'

Sakura couldn't hold herself back anymore, 'Lee-kun, I love you,' as she desperately sought his soft lips. She put every single emotion she was feeling behind that kiss - joy, pain, love and tears - in her hope that Lee would understand her confused emotions and exactly how she felt about him. She could search a thousand years and never find anyone who made her feel like this. Her feelings for Sasuke, she realised now, were just a childish infatuation whereas with Lee it was truly love not a silly schoolgirl crush.

Lee returned her feelings with just as much a passionate kiss as hers, exerting his dominance over her as she subjected. He loved being in control but he also loved having such an independent woman in his life as Sakura was. It was sweet how she showed how much she cared by how much she stuck with him throughout the months they've known each other but he knew how strong she could be emotionally and that she would be able to manage to stay strong with him gone. He hoped for the best. A soft moan from Sakura snapped him out of his daydream and back to reality. He pulled back to allow them to breathe, their hot breaths mingling visibly together in the bitter cold air.

'I love you too. Gosh, how much I'll miss you, no amount can describe it.' Lee said sadly.

'I'll miss you too.' Sakura choked out as tears began to fall. He brushed them away with his thumb.

He kissed her once more as soft as could be, 'now go on, inside with you. I'll phone you when I'm there.'

She reluctantly took a step back to let him go. He stepped into the sleek black sports car and after closing the door Lee looked out the open window at her.

'Just do me one last thing before I go.' He said seriously.

'What?' She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her voice sounding thick.

The dramatic pause which was given was deafening, it sounded loader than the rain and wind which were pelting the metal on top of the car.

'Smile.' Lee said giving a cheesy grin.

Sakura's hands balled at her sides and she stamped her foot onto the ground sending a huge splash of water from the force, 'I'm going to kill you for that.' She spoke with as much anger as she could muster, she wished that he would stop doing that dramatic pause after a serious request, it made everything sound ominous.

Lee laughed loudly from the seat of the car and the sound made Sakura forget about her anger and she smiled too.

'Goodbye, Lee-kun.' Sakura smiled through her tears.

'Until we meet again.' Lee said as his hands held the steering wheel and he slowly pressed his foot on the peddle.

Sakura stood waving her arms wildly as Lee drove out of the main gates, and then ran after him and waved as he watched through the rear-view mirror until both were out of sight. Downheartedly, Sakura returned to the Academy as she started sorting out her confused emotions; so that she could be as she knew Lee wished her to be - happy.

'Gaara! Hey Gaara?' Sakura shouted up the stairs in the boys dormitory, she had searched all downstairs and she knew that this was the only place left where he would be unless he was wandering about the school halls or grounds.

A small diminished figure appeared at the top of the stairs with arms folded which she knew to be him. 'Come on, are we going or what?'

He didn't say anything but instead he slowly crept down the stairs with an awkward expression on his face.

Sakura led the way to Lady Tsunade's office as Gaara followed in silence. This continued until finally, halfway to their destination down an abandoned hallway, she confronted him.

'What the hell is wrong with you today?' Sakura demanded, starting to get worried now, he's never been like this with me.

Gaara glared at her, 'I killed my family, what else'

She flinched, that had forgotten briefly about. She shook her head though, 'I'm sorry, I realise that would be hard for you but it wasn't that what I mean. You've been odd all morning and you were fine yesterday.'

'What do you mean?' His gaze wandered shiftily.

'Well you seemed awkward this morning when you spoke to me and Lee and now you're not talking to me, I mean I know you're the silent type but you talk more than this.'

Gaara looked around, a huge blush appearing on his face.

'I - well, um…' Words wouldn't form, it wasn't his fault but he couldn't help but feel ashamed, not only of himself but of her too.

'What?'

'Well….Last night...I couldn't help but overhear…' Gaara's voice was fading into the background with every word which was spoken and was staring at the ground.

Her face was beet red and the muscles became tort and her eyes widened. She was so embarrassed that they were overheard, 'I don't know what you mean,' she denied it.

With his best, but still terrible, female voice he repeated many of the heated moments of the previous night to her quietly.

It was now her time to be lost for words as they caught in her throat but eventually she managed to squeak, 'oh god.' She hid her face with her hands as she felt so ashamed that he'd heard everything what had happened and was said.

But she also felt angry, angry at the fact that he was holding it against her because she was a grown woman now and if she wanted then she could do whatever she wanted she didn't need his say so.

'Oh my god, I'm so sorry you heard that, this is so awkward and embarrassing now, but you have to realise I'm 18 years old and there's nothing to say that I can't, I still don't know what your problem is.' She said still hiding behind her hands.

A silence befell the pair as they walked down the corridor while Gaara contemplated his answer. 'I suppose it's just that it's hard to accept the fact you've grown up, you're older than me after all, and you're entering relationships like that, I suppose it should be expected but it was more of a shock, if you catch my drift.'

She nodded, she did understand, she knew that if the roles were reversed then she'd also find it a hard thing to accept. 'Well you have a week to be able to get used to it before Lee comes back from seeing his father. Hell I'll even promise we'll try and keep it quieter next time.'

He seemed to hesitate before finally agreeing to the terms. 'Naruto heard too.'

Sakura's face became much redder this time. Oh god having Naruto knowing could really be awkward, he's a joker and will never stop teasing. 'What did he say about it?' She stopped walking and held her face to cover the blush on her cheeks.

Gaara took a few more steps not noticing she had stopped before turning to face her as he spoke, 'he said that you guys are adults and can get up to what you want but he had a mischievous grin on his face.'

She rolled her eyes, yep definitely in for some stick later, she thought. Shaking it off she caught up to Gaara and kept going until she had reached their destination. 'You ready for this?' The pink-headed ninja asked him professionally.

Steeling himself he took a deep breath while closing his eyes and let it go slowly before opening them again and nodding with a certain expression on his face.

Sakura knocked on the door waiting for an answer, when she received a distant one she pushed open the door slowly and they could hear the squeaking of the hinges. They entered and shut the door but found no one there to greet them. Confused, Sakura moved closer to the desk which was in the middle of the room and examined it, hoping to find her bent over searching through her drawers for something but to no avail. Gaara remained by the door feeling anxious as he looked around for Lady Tsunade.

Sakura turned round to look at Gaara when out of the corner of her eye she saw something dangerous flying towards him.

'Get down!' She shouted to Gaara, it was a paper bomb.

Grabbing the hidden kunai she keeps on herself for emergencies she flung it at the paper hoping to catch it before it reached Gaara. Success! She had barely reacted fast enough but she caught it dead centre and found it stuck to the wall behind him. Gaara moved seconds later, when the crisis had been averted, not fast enough for Sakura but he was weak and untrained as of now. She expected the paper bomb to explode but upon closer inspection she saw that it was a fake, an expertly designed fake.

'Very sharp. I'm impressed.' A mysterious voice said from the next room. It startled her and she jumped to Gaara's side to defend him if necessary. The door opened and she saw that Kakashi-sensei and Lady Tsunade walked out and took their place at the other side of the desk, as if nothing had just happened.

Staring incredulously, Sakura blurted out, 'what the hell?' as she tried to relax the tensed muscles, Gaara near enough shaking next to her. It was his face she couldn't understand, he looked terrified yet also, hungry for more, was the beast trying to take over through the adrenaline which must have been racing through his system. Whatever the case, Sakura didn't like the attack they orchestrated and demanded and explanation.

'I apologise,' Lady Tsunade spoke solemnly, 'it was Kakashi's plan to assault you.'

'With good reason, I always wish to test my new students' He spoke cheerfully, that was always his thing though, he usually faked it to relate to students.

'But I'm not a new student, why test my skills since Gaara obviously hasn't honed his yet and can't fairly be tested?'

'I like students who question things too. Lady Tsunade will explain.' He finished with a flourish of his hand in the direction of his superior.

'First thing's first, Gaara.' She turned her head towards him and asked genuinely concerned, 'how are you holding up?'

He was slightly taken aback at the direct acknowledgement, despite the fact she wanted to see him in the first place. 'Good and bad, it's hard accepting my fate and it's a struggle to keep myself in check, but being around Sakura, a part of home for me, it comforting and it eases the desires of the beast and subdues it.'

'As expected.' She spoke softly, probably to herself. She pushed herself up from the desk and found a red file and handed it to Sakura, she noted the leaf ninja symbol embossed on the front and took it.

'This is a direct order from the Hokage, Sakura you are to move into the spare room which Sasuke left behind just over a month ago so that we can keep the beast in check.'

Shocked, Sakura opened the file and found everything all there, 'I thought that was forbidden but the rules of the Academy.'

'The Hokage deemed it prudent that we take as many precautions as necessary for Gaara, he is, after all, as dangerous as he is beneficial to us.'

Sakura bowed formally as she accepted her mission happily. She would love to be able to surprise Lee-kun tonight with the news.

'Is that satisfactory, Gaara?' Lady Tsunade addressed him

He nodded silently, not wanting to speak as his body shakes with a few minor shudders. Sakura reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder which stimulates his body to relax and stop.

'Now this leads on to the next part, as to why Kakashi is here and why he attacked.'

This was the part Sakura was most anxious for, she wanted to know what was going on here.

'Since you two, Lee and Naruto are going to now be living together, I would like to rearrange how the teams are currently in favour of all four of you being together, usually teams aren't any larger than 3 but the added help of Naruto to ease Gaara into being able to control the beast will definitely help.'

She was about to open her mouth and say that it still didn't explain the aggression but then she realised, 'Kakashi-sensei is going to be our mentor.' She didn't ask, she stated.

'That's right, I'll be your mentor, I'll be training you altogether once you're all here and accounted for and so I like to test my students.' Kakashi spoke to them. 'Usually I like to test the whole team together for teamwork but since Naruto and Lee have already undergone this test with their teams there is no need. Instead, I tested to see what you would do when the life of your friend was in danger, and you acted remarkably, both in stopping the attack and rushing to his aid to protect him.'

'Is that all?' Sakura asked politely.

'Nothing more need be required. You both may go.' Lady Tsunade dismissed them.

'I shall summon you when it is time.' Kakashi said and pulled a disappearing act that impressed Gaara.

They both left and quietly headed back to the dorm room. Eventually Sakura broke the silence, 'shall we get started on moving my things over?' She laughed, smiled and tugged on his arm to hurry up as she skipped down the hall. She missed Lee loads but now she would be living with him and she could only be happier if he was here with her, but she could only hope it was soon.


End file.
